Father's Love
by Autumn2005
Summary: Paternal Jareth. But what no one knew was that the Goblin King had fallen in love with the boy, and gave him certain powers… Even though Sarah stole her brother back, Jareth still thinks of Toby as his son. Sarah/Jareth eventually. Now complete!
1. Prologue

**A/N: Welcome to my new story! This one is more light-hearted that my first story, Windows of the Soul. I'm not done with it yet, but it will also be quite a bit shorter than Windows too. I already posted the first part at the end of Windows, but so feel free to skip this bit below if you've already read it. The first few chapters are uber short, but they get longer as we go. I have no schedule for posting just yet, since this one is so short and I'm on the 6th of what will probably be about 7-8 chapters. I would like to promise at least once a week updates, but again, I will post more often when I have a good cushion between where I'm posting and where I'm writing, and slower when the posting starts to catch up to me. As always, if you like it, send me a review/follow/fave to let me know!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own nuttin!**

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Prologue

The wished-away children saved the Underground. The Fae were an ancient race. They were a dying race. If not for the wished-away children, the Fae would have gone extinct millennia ago. Only by marrying and mingling their blood with the wished-away children were the Fae able to reclaim a measure of vitality. The magic in the Underground was so potent that it transformed the humans, giving them Fae-like powers. Within two generations, those descended from humans were indistinguishable from full-blooded Fae. At first there was prejudice against those with human blood, but it became clear that without a measure of human blood, all Fae would have died. Over time, no one was left that could claim pure Fae descent.

Since the wished-away were so important to the Underground, the Labyrinth became indispensable to Fae survival, and the Goblin King was a vital figure to his race. He was in charge of collecting the wished-away children, and once the runners failed, placing said children into Fae homes where they might be raised with love.

Jareth had been the Goblin King for a long time. After centuries of placing children into other homes, he finally made the choice to become a father himself. He had no bride, but that was not needed to adopt one of the wished-aways. There was always a need for more children, but no one blamed the Goblin King for wanting a child of his own.

It so happened that the next child to be wished away was a boy not yet one year old. Even though the child was not yet his until thirteen hours had passed, Jareth was instantly in love with his son. He had seen it happen many times with the children he gave to Fae families. Always he had wondered how the parents could so thoroughly love children not of their own blood. Even those with blood children were eager to accept a human infant into their hearts. Some families asked for more than one wished-away, though there was no shortage of families waiting for children.

Now he knew what it was like, to hold this helpless child in his arms and know the babe depended on him for everything. In the flush of his joy over holding his son, he didn't pay as close attention to the runner as he should have. The girl got much further than he expected. He began to feel a chill that she might actually succeed and take his son from him. That was the reason he did not place children with their families before the runner failed, just in case the child was stolen back from him. But it had never happened in all his time as the Goblin King, and in his arrogance he thought his Labyrinth unbeatable.

As he held his son, for the first time he wondered if he was truly enough. He did not as a rule allow children to go to families unless the parents were already a bonded pair. The custom had been waved for his sake, but now he wondered if he should take a mate so his son was raised in a stable home. He felt overwhelmingly protective of his son. There were many Fae women in in the Underground that wished to marry his for his positon and power. How could he be sure that his mate loved the child as much as he did? And how could he distract the runner, so that he might not lose his son to her?

The answer came to him that he might court the runner. She had wished away the child in the first place, but she obviously cared for the babe if she was striving so hard to get him back. She was young still, but age mattered little to the immortal Fae. So he created a dream for her, that he might test her willingness to accept him. She seemed amenable, though she was too concerned for the child to fully succumb to him.

The runner would not be deterred from her goal of reaching the child. In the end, he begged her to stay, begged her to love him, to not take his son and break his heart. It was all to no avail. She shattered his kingdom with her words. She stole his son away from him, the child that was never meant to be his.

Afterwards, she celebrated with his subjects. He watched from the window as his subjects played games and danced with the child-thief. His heart was heavy and full of grief. He flew around the side of the house and peered into the window at the child that should have been his. The boy was disturbed by the noises next door and starting to fuss. The girl, for all that she had won the child back, did not notice. Jareth could not bear to watch the child struggle against his coverings. With a burst of magic, he flew into the room for a second time.

"Hush, my…" he began, and realized that he could not call the boy his son any longer. He reached out and patted the babe. The infant stared up at him trustingly.

"You could have been my son," he whispered, feeling the pain of loss freshly. He was not ready to say goodbye just yet. He lingered for a time, soothing the lonely boy. On a whim, he conjured a crystal and waved it in front of the child. The infant's eyes tracked the bright shape curiously.

"It's just a crystal, nothing more, but if you turn it this way, it will show you your dreams," he said, and couldn't help but to peer into the crystal to see the boy's dream. Right now the child was dreaming of a warm bottle, being held in someone's arms, and a soothing lullaby. Without hesitation, the babe reached up and seized the crystal. Jareth stared in astonishment. The boy shook the crystal, and began to fuss when his dreams did not appear. If he cried too loud, the girl next door would hear and come in, and Jareth's time with the boy would be at an end.

The child stared at him with a crumpled face, and held out his arms in a universal gesture. The Goblin King was helpless to resist the call of the boy that would have been his son. He picked up the child, feeling again the surge of love for the small human. He rocked the boy, and settled him deeper in his arms. He conjured a warm bottle, and began singing to complete the dream. The boy gurgled contentedly. Perhaps… all hope was not lost. He could not take the boy to the Underground with him, but the infant had freely accepted his presence. He could still visit his son, in the Aboveground.

"This family might have you, but never forget that I love you, my son," he told the boy that was his. "Should you have need of me, all you must do is call and I will come for you. And perhaps… one day, when you are old enough to choose, you might come to live with me."

Jareth stayed with his son for a long time. The party in the next room helped cover any noise he made while he talked and sang to his son. He did not dare to set him down, for he didn't know when he might have another chance to hold him. Eventually though, the party began to wind down, and there was quiet. He heard the girl moving about as she cleaned the mess his subjects made. Usually their penchant for chaos made his kingdom difficult to run, but this time he smiled and made no effort to help her. The boy was sleeping on his chest, drool making his shirt damp. The Goblin King would have it no other way.

When the girl finally stirred herself to check on the boy—long after Jareth thought she should have—he was forced to return his son to the crib and hide outside. He was exhausted after a long night of trying to keep the girl from his son, and then staying up to comfort his son afterwards. Reluctantly, he flew away to his kingdom. He would return later for his son.


	2. Year 1

**A/N: Yeah, I feel really bad this is so short. Things will get better, I promise!**

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Year 1

Jareth

Jareth visited his son often. He watched young Toby through his crystals, and when the boy was alone, the Goblin King would steal Aboveground to spend time with him. Toby recognized him. Jareth loved holding his son, talking to him, singing to him. Toby babbled back, nonsense words that sometimes reminded him of goblin speech. The goblins became aware of young Toby, and also visited him on occasion. Jareth was careful to make sure Sarah never learned of his visits. He suspected she would not understand his need to see his son, and in any case, he had no desire to see the child-thief.

He was aware that his subjects continued to visit her. He turned a blind eye to their actions, for they often provided a distraction whereby he might sneak in and spent time with his son.

One day as he was visiting, Toby was rather fussy and not quite so pleased to see his Fae father. Jareth tried to comfort the boy to no avail. He noticed Toby kept rubbing at his nose and breathing strangely. Then Toby sneezed, and green slime landed on the Goblin King's fine shirt. Jareth was instantly livid.

"What have they done to you, my son?" he asked, conjuring a crystal. He held it to Toby's head and peered into it. He stiffened in outrage.

"A cold? They can't even cure a common cold for you? How can they call themselves your family, when even the least of the Fae can cure a cold, but they would leave you to suffer it?" Jareth dismissed the first crystal and summoned a second. This one he touched to Toby's nose, and then traced it across his throat, chest and head. The crystal got smaller and lighter until it appeared to sink into the small boy. When it was gone, Toby took a deep, disease free breath through his nose and instantly fell asleep now that the cold was no longer bothering him.

Jareth cleared the green slime from his shirt with a flick of his fingers, then sat in the rocking chair in the room, humming soothingly to his son as he cradled him in his arms.

* * *

Sarah

Sarah had a newfound appreciation for her brother. She regretted wishing him away to the goblins, and didn't mind watching over him now. She had made some fantastic friends in the Labyrinth, and she continued to call on them almost every weekend when her parents went out. She worried that calling on her friends might attract the attention of the Goblin King. She had no desire to see the child-thief, and feared that he might return to take vengeance on her and Toby. But her friends insisted that they were careful to avoid detection.

Her stepmother continued to pressure her about dating and stuff, but Sarah found she would rather spent time with Toby and her Labyrinth friends. Everything her brother did was suddenly the cutest thing she'd ever seen, and she was as proud as her parent to mark every milestone.


	3. Year 2

**A/N: Thanks for your positive reviews! I wanted to show a different side of Jareth than is usually seen, so for someone who dresses like a peacock, I was able to show that he didn't care about the general messiness that comes with having a kid. Well, this is another short one. They will get longer, but not until Year 4.**

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Year 2

Jareth

His son was growing so fast. Toby could walk and run now, and was talking constantly. Reluctantly, Jareth had to place a spell on his son so that he would not accidentally reveal his visits to the human family. Toby could only speak of his Fae father and his goblin siblings in front of someone who already knew of their visits, which limited it to only Jareth and the goblins.

Toby's words were not fully articulate, but he could say certain things very well. "GOB-in!" was a favorite of his, as well as "Crys-o." The first time that Toby called him, "Dada," brought tears to Jareth's eyes. This mortal family might be raising his son, but the boy knew who his father was. It was a wrench every time he had to return to the Underground without his son. Visiting Toby was the highlight of his life, and he was always despondent when he had to leave. There was never enough time to spend with his son.

He worried constantly when he was not with Toby. Were the humans treating him right? What if he got another cold? What if he was seriously injured? He visited other Underground families that had adopted wished-aways, and he began to gauge Toby's progress by how their children were doing. He learned that all children collected a certain amount of bumps and scrapes and minor illnesses as they grew, but it fretted him that the Underground children could perform magic, and his son could not. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Underground, and his son could not use magic.

He knew it was a product of not living in the Underground, but it worried him that others would scorn his son for his strange upbringing. Jareth began to hide crystals in Toby's room, and constructed them to give off a low amount of magic. It was nowhere near as powerful as living in the Underground, but at least a small exposure to background magic would help develop his son's abilities.

* * *

Sarah

Toby was a bright, inquisitive child. He had such an imagination! She sometimes stood outside his door, and listened as he spoke to imaginary friends. It seemed he had a whole cast of characters that he played with. She tried once to get him to talk about his imaginary friends with her, but he just shrugged and played silently. Perhaps he was shy about his friends, or they were just too personal to share with others. Certainly she never told anyone else about her Labyrinth friends, who she continued to see regularly.

There still was no sign of the Goblin King, thank goodness. She was glad to see the last of that villain. After more than a year of not seeing him, and being very careful about what words she used, she was beginning to relax. Toby was safe at home, and the evil Goblin King would not be coming back for revenge.

She gave a report at school about imaginary friends, and for some reason it caught the attention of one of the boys in her class. He began to sit next to her, and talk to her during lunch. She was cautious at first, but he seemed like a nice guy, and he wanted to take her out. Karen was utterly thrilled that Sarah had her first date.

They went to dinner and saw a movie, and it was pleasant. She didn't feel any sparks or fluttering in her heart when she was with him, but she thought such things probably took time to develop. So she invited him to go to the park with her and Toby that weekend. He seemed a little surprised that her brother was with them, but smiled and made the best of it. That was, until Toby wandered up and planted a big, muddy handprint on his jeans.

He said, "Ew."

The date was over right then.


	4. Year 3

**A/N: I'm so sorry it took me so long to update this! I haven't abandoned the story, I promise! I've been very busy with work and school. I'm also writing a new fic for Greek mythology, the Hades and Persephone story. I've been updating that one more regularly, but I promise I'll start getting this one going again. Thanks for your reviews, and I hope you're not too disappointed in me for disappearing!**

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Year 3

Jareth

The Goblin King was full of paternal pride. His son was a fine, charming boy. It was his joy to present Toby with his first sword. Jareth's father had given him a sword when he was three, and it was fitting that Jareth now gave his own son a sword. It was hardly more than a long knife in his hand, but it was heavy and sharp for Toby. Though it was painful to watch, Jareth allowed Toby to cut his fingers on the blade. Toby jerked back, and began to cry when he saw blood from the minor nick.

Jareth knelt tenderly by his son. "Be careful," he said, "The blade is very sharp, and you could get hurt by it." Then he healed the wound, and placed a spell over the blade that it would not cut again. Jareth pulled out a second blade, and also put a blunting spell on it. Then the two of them began to play swords. Proper technique would come later; his son was only three. Right now it was about learning to handle the weapon.

Toby soon forgot his cut as he waved the sword wildly, trying to hit Jareth's. They mock dueled for a time, until Toby began to tire. Jareth "allowed" Toby to poke him in the stomach. He fell to his knees and pretended to be wounded. Toby dropped his sword in panic and ran to him. Jareth swept his son into a bear hug then blew raspberries on his tummy. Toby giggled and squirmed, and soon they were tickling each other until the boy was complete exhausted.

Jareth collapsed to the ground in mock defeat, while Toby sprawled across him.

"Love you, Daddy," Toby panted.

It was the sweetest thing the Goblin King had ever heard. He turned over and nestled Toby to his side.

"I love you too, my son," he said, and watched as his child fell asleep in his arms.

Though he was loathe to do it, Jareth was forced to take Toby's sword with him when the visit was over. It would not do to leave evidence behind. Every time he visited though, he brought the sword with him, and continued to teach Toby how to use it. When Toby was cleaning the blade, it was as sharp as when it had cut him so he would learn to respect it. When they practiced fighting against each other, it was dull as to prevent accidental injuries.

Toby quickly learned the difference, and was shaping up to be a very responsible swordsman.

* * *

Sarah

Sarah was graduating from high school this year. She had been accepted into the local community college, but had no idea what she wanted to study. All her other friends also graduating knew what they wanted to be. She heard everything from nurses to accountants, teachers and veterinarians. But nothing appealed to her.

Her parents were pushing her to get a business degree. She asked her friends from the Labyrinth what she should do. Hoggle was all for gardening, or maybe pest control. Ludo wanted to be a builder, and Sir Didymus suggested she should become a great military commander and lead her troops to glory. As much as those answers made her smile, none of them felt right to her.

She tried a variety of things to discover her interests. She tried acting like her mother, but quickly found that she was only chasing a dream that was never going to come true. Becoming a famous actress would not make her mother come back to her, so there was no reason to keep it up when she realized she didn't really like it. She wasn't any good at drawing, and was even worse when she tried creative writing. Teaching didn't appeal to her, and while she was smart, she had no passion for tallying numbers all day. She jokingly said she wanted to be a dog groomer for the rest of her life, but the looks of disapprobation on her parents' faces was enough to stifle that idea.

In the end, she enrolled under "general studies." She was young. She still had time to decide her future, right? In the summer between high school and college, she got a job at a video store. It was a crappy job, but any money coming in was better than none, and her parents were proud of her for working. The store manager was a few years older than her, and rather cute. She was awkwardly flattered when he started flirting with her. Despite the typical problems of workplace romances, not to mention the entire dating-the-boss complex, she agreed to go out on a date with him.

At the last moment, her parents had to attend a sudden convention for her father's work, and so she had to babysit Toby. Her boss was surprisingly willing to alter his plans and come to her house instead of going out. He got on well with Toby, and Sarah began to relax. That was, until he locked Toby in his room so he could try to make out with Sarah on the couch. She angrily threw her date out of the house and rescued her brother, who took the incident rather well.

The next day, she quit her job.


	5. Year 4

**A/N: I had my last final today! I'm out of school for the summer! To celebrate, I decided to post the long-awaited Year 4! This is when Sarah and Jareth meet again, and sparks fly!**

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Year 4

Jareth

The Goblin King was in the middle of a meeting of dignitaries when he heard his son suddenly scream in agony. His heart nearly stopped. What could make Toby yell so loud he heard him from the Underground? Without offering an apology or explanation, Jareth teleported to his son's side Aboveground. His son was writhing on the grass near some playground equipment in his backyard, and kneeling over him was—_the child-thief_.

Jareth could smell metallic blood, and realized it was his son's. His vision flashed red. What had that girl done to Toby? His son saw him and cried out.

"Daddy!" he shouted, reaching weakly with one arm. The other was covered in blood and twisted at an unnatural angle. The girl turned and saw him. She paled and tried to stand between him and his son.

"Goblin King! Y-you can't have him! I won't let you take him!" she stuttered.

"What did you do to my son?" he demanded, striding forward angrily. She moved to block him, but he pushed her aside and picked up Toby. The boy screamed in pain. The girl shouted and grabbed at his son. He blocked her ruthlessly.

"Haven't you already done enough to hurt him?" he shouted at her, and then began tending his son. The first thing he did was kiss Toby's forehead, sending his magic into the small boy to dull the pain.

Toby whimpered, but he was crying from fear and the memory of pain rather than the full agony now. Jareth spend some time comforting his son, while glaring daggers at the girl. For now she was holding her distance from them, and that was the way he liked it.

"Daddy, my arm hurts," Toby said, and tried to look at his arm. Jareth glanced at his son's arm and swallowed hard. He quickly distracted the boy from looking.

"I'll take care of it," he promised. "Look here, you see this crystal?" He held up one of his magic spheres.

"No!" the girl shouted, stepped toward him.

"Stay back!" he snarled at her, holding his son protectively.

"You can't have him! You have no power over me!"

He shuddered. "No, but I have power over my son, for which you should be grateful."

Toby began to cry, upset by the yelling adults.

"Let him go!" she lunged for them. He moved aside nimbly, and she sprawled on the grass.

"I suppose _you_ have the magic to help him?" he sneered. He knelt on the ground, Toby in his lap. He distracted the boy again with one crystal, while he ran a second down his arm. Toby twitched, but otherwise didn't move as the protruding bone slipped back in place and the skin over the gash closed itself. As before, the healing crystal disappeared into Toby's arm. Jareth held his son's limb carefully while the broken bone reknit. He could do minor healing, but setting bones was at the limit at his skill. Thank goodness it had not been more serious, or he would have had to fetch a healer from the Underground.

Sarah stared at him with equal parts confusion and suspicion. For good measure, Jareth waved his hand and the blood, both on his son and on the grass, disappeared. This time, when Toby tried to look at his arm, Jareth let him. His son examined himself and wiggled his fingers.

"It's all better now!" he exclaimed. "Look Sarah, it doesn't hurt anymore!" He waved with excitement at his sister. Jareth smiled indulgently at his son.

"How did it happen?" he asked, casting Sarah a sharp look. She flushed.

Toby jumped up and ran to the playground equipment. "I was on the swing," he said, climbing onto that particular piece and standing with his feet on the seat. "And I was going really, really high, and then I jumped!"

He leapt from the swing. It was only from a height of perhaps two feet, since the swing wasn't actually moving this time, but in the light of recent events, both Sarah and Jareth lunged for him. Jareth got there first, and caught his son. Toby giggled as Jareth settled him on his hip. The boy was getting to the age where he was too heavy for his parents and sister to carry him all the time, but the Goblin King's strength was more than equal to the task.

"Goblin King," Sarah choked out, glaring at him with her fists clenched, "I appreciate what you did for him, but give him back, _now_."

"And what if I don't?" he shot back, knowing what would happen next. Right on cue, Toby gave a huge, jaw-cracking yawn and abruptly slumped against his shoulder.

"What did you do to him?" she yelped, taking a step forward.

"Keep your voice down," he said in a low tone, cradling his son tenderly. "He's had a major healing, and the energy has to come from somewhere. I can only provide so much. He's just sleeping."

"Give him back to me," she said, stepping forward. Her voice trembled as she tried to show courage. "He can sleep in his own bed."

"I think not. I don't get to hold my son often, so forgive me if I enjoy it while I can."

"Your son—" her face turned red with outrage. Realizing that she was going to be difficult about this, he sighed and teleported himself and Toby into the boy's room. The crib had long been replaced with a child's bed, but the rocking chair was still there. He sat down and proceeded to rock his son, patting his back. He smiled as Sarah shouted frantically in the backyard.

"Toby! Goblin King! Toby!"

Her voice was getting shriller with every repetition. He would have let her continue, but it was starting to disturb Toby. He sent a crystal to guide her to their location. She pounded up the stairs toward them. She appeared in the door, panting and furious. He held a lazy hand to forestall her outburst, and indicated the sleeping boy. Her eyes bulged, but she modified her tone so as to not wake her brother.

"He is _not_ your son, and you have no _right_ to him. You have no power over us, so give him back now!" she demanded in a hiss.

"I might have no power over _you_," he corrected, "But I certainly have power over _my son._ Unlike you, he accepted my crystal those years ago. How else do you think I was able to heal him?"

She paled and gasped, "When? And he's not your son!"

His face twisted in anger. "While you were celebrating your return from my world, he was crying in the next room! Did you hear him? No! But I did, and I offered him his dreams as I did you. Do you know what his dream was? All he wanted was to be held! I held him, nursed him with a bottle, sang him a lullaby, while you _partied_. So don't tell me that he isn't my son after that. You _stole_ him from me!"

She gaped at him. "_You_ stole him first!"

"You wished him away! You didn't want him! He was to be mine! My son!" His voice rose too high, and Toby stirred. They fell silent, glaring at each other, while Jareth soothed his son back to sleep.

Sarah scowled, but struggled to find something to say. "Well, you still can't have him," she said lamely.

"You think I don't know that?" he snorted. "You think I would have left him in this awful place, under your clumsy care, if I had any other choice? You think I like trying to sneak visits to see my own son?"

"He's not—oh forget it. You mean you've been coming back ever since…?"

"Unlike _your kind,_ my people love their children and don't abandon them."

"I didn't abandon him! You stole him, and I won him back!"

"You asked me to take him. You begged me to take him! I loved him the first moment I laid eyes on him. In my world, he would have been a prince."

"Yeah, a prince of a junk heap!"

His eyes flashed. "Do _not_ try my patience. Under _your_ care, he was injured greatly. You can't even heal his wounds. _I_ can. Do you really think he is better with you?"

"Yes!"

"Why? What have you possible done for him that I have not?"

She fell silent. She had no answer, and they both knew it. He continued to rock gently, glaring at the child-thief that had wronged him. Underground law said he had no claim on Toby, no matter that he had accepted the crystal as a babe, but his heart said differently. Toby would always be his son. The sooner this girl accepted that, the better for them. At least one good thing happened out of this. Now that she knew about him, he no longer had to keep away when she was watching his son.

She moved to sit on Toby's bed, the atmosphere in the room still tense.

"You're very good at that," she admitted reluctantly. She looked confused again, as though she couldn't understand.

He rolled his eyes. "Of course I'm good at this. I'm his father."

She stiffened. "He already has a father!"

He sniffed. "A mortal who spends more time away from his son than with him. At least I am with my son every chance I get."

"That's not fair!"

"I wonder what your basis for comparison is?"

By mutual antagonism, they agreed not to talk. Jareth savored the feeling of holding his son, even if it was somewhat spoiled by the child-thief's presence. And she thought he was a child-thief! As if he ever took a child that was not expressly wished away to him! He wished she would leave him alone with his son, but she seemed determined not to do that.

"How long is he going to sleep like that?" she asked after nearly an hour had passed. She was bored and fidgeting, while Jareth smirked at her, perfectly comfortable in the rocking chair.

"He'll sleep until he's hungry, and then he should be ravenous. Let him eat as much as he wants, and then he'll sleep again. It will last for most of a day."

The sound of a car reached them. Downstairs, the door opened, and a woman called for Sarah and Toby. Jareth grimaced. His time was at an end, and he was filled with great sadness at the parting. He stood. Sarah reached for Toby.

"Give him to me," she commanded.

"I'll put him to bed," he corrected, "Move aside."

She fumed, but stepped away so he could lay Toby on his bed. The boy woke briefly.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, my son, I'm here."

Sarah huffed, but he ignored her.

"I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, Toby. Rest now and get strong, okay?"

"Okay…" Toby was already drifting off again as Jareth kissed his head and tucked the blankets around him. He turned reluctantly to face Sarah. She had that puzzled look on her face like she didn't understand him. He smirked at her. Love wasn't hard to understand at all.

* * *

Sarah

The Goblin King disappeared just as the door to Toby's room opened and Karen came in.

"Hi honey, were you talking to someone?" Karen asked.

"Just thinking out loud," Sarah said somewhat nervously. "I just put Toby down for a nap, he's fine."

"Thank you for watching him for us," Karen said. "Would you like to come down and have lunch with us?"

Sarah was anxious about leaving Toby alone considering what she now knew about the Goblin King, but didn't see a way to get out of lunch without rousing suspicion. She followed her stepmother downstairs, her mind whirling.

The Goblin King! After so many years fearing and avoiding him, he was back. Not just back, but apparently had never left in the first place. She had a feeling of dread in her stomach. Ever since her journey in the Labyrinth, he had been her villain, and she'd waited for him to return to extract vengeance. Except… he didn't act like he wanted revenge. He didn't act like anything she expected. He was still an arrogant jerk, that hadn't changed, but in all other ways he was… unpredictable.

His insistence on calling Toby his son was frightening and possessive, and yet he had been unfailingly gentle, even sweet, with her brother. He was unreserved in his affections. And he _had_ healed Toby's arm. The accident happened so fast, it still made Sarah's heart jolt every time she thought of it. Toby was showing her how high he could go on the swing, and then for some reason he decided to jump off at the top of the swing. She knew kids did it at the park all the time, but she hadn't thought Toby would try it from that high off the ground.

She gasped when he leapt from the swing, and then he landed. She still remembered the sickening, wet _crack!_ as Toby hit the ground. She knew something was wrong and was already running toward him when he screamed an instant later. Seeing that horrible fracture, his bone sticking out from his arm, had churned her stomach. Her mind went blank with panic, and it was all she could do to keep from vomiting. She hadn't known what to do. She'd been too stunned to even think about calling for 911.

And then the Goblin King was there. In the worst possible moment, when Toby was badly injured and she was too terrified to move, the Goblin King appeared to take her brother. Except that wasn't what he'd done. He held Toby and fixed his arm. He hadn't panicked, and had been able to help even better than a doctor could have. The Goblin King sneered at her as she remembered, but toward Toby he acted… well, like a loving father. She hadn't thought him capable of such emotion, and she didn't know what to think of him.

It angered her when she remembered all he had put her through in the Labyrinth. And when he called _her_ a child-thief—! She'd wanted to punch him. But there was pain on his face when he had to let Toby go. And when he tucked her brother in, his expression was almost unbearably tender. It made her stomach flutter, and she didn't know whether to be angry at him, or to give him a chance. And then Toby called him _Daddy_, and she went straight to anger. The Goblin King wasn't Toby's father, and had no right to make her brother call him that! She fumed for a long time about it.

Toby slept for as long as the Goblin King said, waking only to eat voraciously, and then falling asleep practically mid-bite. Robert thought he was just going through a growth spurt, but Karen worried he was coming down with something. Until her stepmother mentioned it, Sarah hadn't realized how healthy Toby was. He was never sick for more than a day, and other than the standard immunizations, he'd never been to the doctor's office. She suspected now that the Goblin King was behind this. How long had he been healing Toby like that? Would that much magic have some kind of effect on her brother?

Sarah did not dare to leave Toby alone for any length of time, and she no longer felt entirely safe when she was home alone with him. The Goblin King was far too comfortable in the rocking chair in Toby's room. Once her brother recovered from his sleeping spell, she took him out to his favorite diner and let him order banana-nut pancakes smothered in syrup. As he ate the sticky mess, she began to casually question him.

"Toby, how long has the Goblin King been visiting you?"

He shrugged. "Forever."

Her heart sank. "What does he do when he's with you?"

His face lit up. "He plays with me, and sings! And the goblins play with me too!"

"The goblins come too?" she asked in horror.

"Yeah! They're funny!"

She was feeling faint. "Toby, you have to stay away from the goblins. They could hurt you."

"No they won't!" Toby insisted, "They're my friends! And Daddy won't let them! He makes all the boo-boos go away."

That confirmed that the Goblin King had been healing Toby all along. She didn't know whether to be grateful or mad at his presumption.

"Do you get boo-boos often when the Goblin King is here?"

"No. Only sometimes. Like when we play with swords."

"_What?_" she yelped. She was definitely on the angry side now. How _dare_ the Goblin King do something so dangerous with her brother?

"Yeah, we play with swords, and Daddy said he's going to bring a bow and arrow soon!"

_Oh no he won't!_ she thought furiously. "Why didn't you tell me about him coming to visit?"

"Daddy said not to tell anyone."

"Toby, you do know he isn't your dad? That my dad is your dad too, not the Goblin King?"

He gave her a confused look. "But I have two Daddies."

"No, you don't," she said firmly.

He pouted. "Yes I do! I have two Daddies, and they love me very much! You're just mad because you have to share your Daddy with me, and I have one Daddy that's only mine!"

"Stop it, Toby," she shouted at him, causing other diners to look at her. She lowered her voice. "The Goblin King isn't your daddy. I want you to stay away from him. He is a very bad man—" she felt a twinge of guilt, considering how he had healed Toby, "—and he's dangerous. He could hurt you, or take you away."

Toby began to cry. "That's not true! He loves me. He said so! I want my Daddy!"

She looked around in panic that the Goblin King would appear in the middle of the diner. People were staring at them, so she found it best to leave money on the table and take Toby home. Once they stepped outside though, her worst nightmare came true. The Goblin King stepped out of the shadows, his expression worried. Toby broke away from her and ran to him.

"Toby." The Goblin King knelt down so Toby could fling his arms around his neck. The boy cried hard into him.

"Sarah says you're a bad man, but you're not! You love me, don't you?"

"Of course I love you!" he exclaimed, and picked up Toby as he stood. He made a strange gesture, and then glared at Sarah.

"What have you been telling my son?" he demanded.

"He's not your son! Stop calling him that, and put him down! I've only been telling him the truth about you!"

He stiffened, "And did you tell him the truth about you? How you didn't want him?"

She gave Toby a panicked look. "Don't be cruel, Goblin King," she spat.

"Cruel? It's you who are cruel, trying to separate me from my son, and turn him against me!" he shouted.

"Don't yell while you're holding my brother!" she shouted back.

"He can't hear us," he replied. "I didn't want him to hear us arguing, he loves us both and it can only upset him."

She gaped at him. "He doesn't love you, it's just some sick fantasy you have in your mind. And don't use magic on him."

"You cannot stop me, Sarah," he responded warningly. Several people from the diner were standing at the windows, unabashedly watching the scene. She gritted her teeth.

"I stopped you before, and I can do it again. Give me Toby so we can get out of here."

He smirked. "I think not," he replied, and disappeared, taking her brother with him.

"No!" she gasped. She ran to her car and fumbled with her keys, her heart pounding in panic. She was going to _kill_ the Goblin King if he did anything to Toby. How dare he just disappear like that! If he wasn't at home, she didn't know what she was going to do. She didn't wish away Toby, and there was no Labyrinth to run. She peeled out of the parking lot, and broke nearly every traffic law on the way to her house.

She pulled into the driveway minutes later. The first thing she heard when she got out of the car was Toby's squeal of laughter, followed by the deeper, masculine tones of the Goblin King. She sagged against her car for a moment, weak with relief. Her thoughts were nonsensical: _I didn't know He could laugh like that…_

She followed the laughter to the backyard, gathering her anger as a weapon against the Goblin King. This was going to stop, _right now_. She flung open the wooden gate, fully prepared to shout the Goblin King down. Within the backyard, Merlin played tug-o-war with goblins while the Goblin King and Toby waved large daggers at each other. Her heart nearly stopped.

She sprinted forward, seized her brother and wrestled the dagger away from him. It was a miracle neither of them lost fingers as she threw the weapon away. She grabbed Toby's shoulders and shook him.

"Knives are _not_ toys," she yelled at him. "They are dangerous, and you _do not_ play with them!"

Toby cried and squirmed free of her grasp. "You always ruin everything!" he shouted, running to hug the Goblin King's legs.

The Goblin King rested his hand on Toby's head, giving her a distasteful look.

"Honestly, use your head, girl," he said scornfully, and threw his own dagger at her. She didn't have time to duck, and instinctively caught it. Her fingers closed on the sharp blade. She started to flinch from the edge, then realized it wasn't cutting her. The dagger felt weirdly slippery in her hand. She looked down at it, and realized that no matter how she tried to touch the blade, there was an invisible force that kept her from making contact with the metal. The entire length of the knife was protected against cutting anything.

She looked up at the Goblin King's stern expression, and felt oddly sheepish.

"Do you think I would risk hurting my son?" he asked. "You owe both of us an apology."

She called out to her brother. "Toby? Toby, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I was just scared you were going to get hurt."

Toby didn't turn to look at her, his face buried against the Goblin King's side.

"Toby, do you forgive me?"

"No!" came the petulant answer, no doubt the Goblin King's influence. But he surprised her. The Goblin King knelt down and forced Toby to look into his face.

"Toby," he said sternly. "Your sister apologized to you. Accept her apology."

Toby looked reluctantly at her. "I accept," he said sullenly.

"Now go give her a hug." He turned Toby around and gave him a little push. Her brother shuffled toward her. She knelt down, her heart pounding that the Goblin King had allowed Toby out of his grip. She hugged the boy tightly. At first his little body was stiff, but then he relaxed and hugged her back.

The Goblin King stood, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I'm waiting for my apology," he reminded her.

"I'm not apologizing to you!" she spat.

He raised an eyebrow and tsked. "Such manners. And you wonder where he gets it from?"

She flushed. "You can't tell me what to do!"

"Thank goodness," he shuddered theatrically. "Now that you're here, I want to discuss visitation rights with you. I will no longer require your presence today, and I will begin watching Toby in the evenings when your parents are out. Also, I'd like to begin taking him home with me on the weekends."

"Absolutely not! You have no visitation rights!"

"Sarah, why are you so mean to him?" Toby asked plaintively. Her sweet brother was giving her a confused look. She hugged him again.

"Toby, Mom, Dad and I are your family. Not the Goblin King. I'm sorry, but you have to say goodbye to him, and he can't ever come back."

"No!" Toby shouted, reaching for the Goblin King. He strode up to them and let the boy grab at him. "Don't leave me! I love you!"

"I love you too," the Goblin King replied. "I'm not leaving you. I won't ever leave you, I promise. Your sister can't make me go."

"Why do you have to make this so difficult?" she demanded.

"Difficult! You're the one being difficult. All I want is to spend time with my son. You are the one that would deny us."

"Sarah, let go, you're hurting me!" Toby whined. She released him, and immediately he ran to the Goblin King. The man sat down in the grass to allow Toby to sit in his lap. There was a look of pure adulation on her brother's face as he looked up at the Goblin King. It sickened her.

"How do I know this isn't some trick, Goblin King?" she asked. "That you're not here for revenge, or you're going to steal him back one day?"

"Sarah," he sighed, "If we are going to parlay over the boy, I would prefer you to use my proper name at least."

She glared at him. "I don't know your name. And my questions still stand."

"My name is Jareth," he smirked. "Have you never been loved by your parents, and knew they would do anything to help you?"

Unbidden, she remembered her mother leaving when she was ten, and the way her father could barely look at her for years after because she looked so much like her mother. Unexpected tears prickled the back of her eyes, but she refused to give Jareth the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

He noticed anyway. He got an uncomfortable look on his face, and shook his head. "Nevermind. Just know that I love Toby more than anyone else. He might not be my blood, but he is the son of my heart. I would do nothing to hurt him. This is no trick on my part. I would never abandon him. I have no reason to take revenge against him, and while you have caused me a considerable amount of pain and difficulties, I know that acting against you would only hurt him more. As for your last question…" he gritted his teeth, "I can't."

"You can't?"

"I can't… take him with me. Neither to the Underground, nor to other places on this world. The only place where I can take him is here, in his home."

"Why?"

"Because in the eyes of the law… Toby does not belong to me. He is the son of my heart, and I love him, but when you stole him back from me, I lost my claim on him. In order to take him anywhere, I require the permission of an adult who has care of him. You qualify."

"You can't take him Underground," she said hastily, scared by the power she had over Toby's fate.

"Fine. But could I take him elsewhere in this world?"

"Where would you go?"

He shrugged. "There are places that your kind consider special. I would take him to where ever he wanted to go."

She had a sudden image of getting a postcard with Toby and Jareth standing in from of the Eiffel Tower, or on top of Mount Everest. "You can't take him anywhere," she declared. His shoulders slumped.

"You are so cruel, Sarah."

"Hey!"

"I could give him so much more, and still you deny me."

"I haven't chased you off, have I?"

"Only because you can't."

That was true. They sat for a time. Toby wandered off to play with the goblins and Merlin.

"Do you have to allow those filthy creatures to touch my brother?" she asked in distaste.

He smirked, "The goblins adore Toby, and they are not more filthy than that dog of yours."

He had a point. "I don't like you, Jareth," she said suddenly.

"I assure you, the feeling is mutual," he replied with a grimace, which surprised her. She hadn't given any thought to what he must think of her, but as someone who got on well with her fellow man, hearing that someone actively disliked her was a shock.

"But Toby loves you," she went on.

His face softened. "And I love him." He gave Toby a look of such longing it belonged in a Hallmark movie.

"I guess you can come see him, sometimes," she reluctantly conceded. "But! I have to be there at all times, and you _absolutely_ cannot take him anywhere," she added quickly.

He smirked at her. "Such generosity. I promise you will come to see that I have only his best interests at heart."

She shuddered, wondering what she had just gotten herself into.


	6. Year 5 Part 1

**A/N: Thanks for your reviews! I have good news! I finished this story! It is completely typed up, and so I'll start posting frequent chapters again. There are a total of 9 years that I wrote about, however, years 6 and 7 cover most of the story, so they'll be broken into smaller chunks to keep from being too overwhelming all at once. Year 5 was also a little lengthy, and so it too will be covered in two parts. Year 8 and 9 were uber short, so I'll probably combine those instead of posting one at a time. All told, this story is 45k words long, or about 76 pages in my word document. I have a question for you: do you prefer shorter chapters (1,500-2,000 words) or longer chapters (3,000-6,000 words)? That will help me decide how to divide things up between the years. Right now it looks like there are about 11 more parts of this story that still need posting.  
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**Now onto chapter 5, I hope you enjoy this one. We start to get some bonding moments between Jareth and Sarah!**

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Year 5 Part 1

Jareth

Jareth didn't think he would ever like the child-thief, but at least for now they had an uneasy truce. At least he was able to visit his son more often, though he tended to butt heads with Sarah quite a bit, especially in the beginning. She did not approve of some of the things he was teaching Toby. She tried to ban the sword fighting, and the archery lessons.

He told her frankly that he would do it anyway, and her only choice was to watch what he was doing, or for him to deliberately exclude her from those proceedings. She tried to fight him more on that, but he made it quite clear that he was serious. After all, he'd been visiting Toby for over four years before she discovered his presence, and even then it was only because she was so careless with Toby's health.

Sarah was also quick to jump to Toby's defense over any perceived slight, sometimes to the boy's detriment. As he began to teach his son archery, they used specialized arrows that handled like normal arrows, but upon hitting the target became a splatter of dye instead, so there were no lethal consequences for stray arrows. She grudgingly admitted these "paint-arrows," as she called them, were a safe alternative to using normal arrows. However, just like with the sharp edge of the sword, Jareth required that his son treated the weapons with the respect they deserved.

He was scolding Toby fiercely about the misuse of those arrows one day when Sarah interrupted and began protecting her brother without knowing the situation. He saw red over her interference, but forced himself to calmly point out the reason behind his scolding. Merlin the sheepdog was liberally splattered by the dye, and banished to the backyard to avoid spreading color into the house.

Sarah was stunned that Toby was responsible for such a thing. She looked down at the boy, who wore a half-hopeful, half-sullen expression on his face, clearly unrepentant. Jareth arched his eyebrows, waiting for her verdict. It was clearly very hard for her to do it, but she stepped aside, and said, "He's your son."

Toby received five swats to his bottom for his misdemeanor, and his bow and arrows were confiscated. The boy screamed during his punishment, rending Jareth's heart, but he forced himself to be stern. Toby ran to sulk in his room, and the Goblin King turned to face Sarah's wrath.

"I let you punish him, but that was going too far! Don't you dare lay a hand on him again!" she warned him.

"You think I was harsh?" he sneered. "I did the same thing to my dog when I was his age. My father was furious when he found out."

She hesitated, then asked, "What did he do?"

"He turned the dye splatters into real arrows," he responded matter-of-factly.

She paled.

"I had to watch my dog die from my actions, and then my father helped me bury him in the field. So no, forgive me if I don't think I was too harsh with your brother."

"Jareth," she whispered, "That was cruel. And… I'm sorry."

He relaxed a fraction. "Being a father means I don't just get the happy parts," he explained. "It means I have a responsibility to raise my son in a correct manner, to teach him that actions have consequences. And sometimes, it hurts both of us. That's something no one tells you about being a parent." He didn't know why he was admitted this to her, but she seemed to understand. She went upstairs to talk to Toby, and a while later they both emerged. Toby tearfully apologized, and then helped to wash the dye off of Merlin. _That_ rather turned into a soapy, messy adventure for all of them, but by the end of it all had been forgiven.

In his fifth year, Toby passed a milestone for his kind and began kindergarten. Jareth understood the importance of lessons—as a prince he'd had many tutors at Toby's age—but he was less fond of the ritual of school. So far as he saw it, it took away valuable time he might have been spending with his son. He tried to be supportive, but unfortunately Toby picked up on his resentment.

On one of his weekends, he walked into an argument between Sarah and Toby. As soon as Toby saw him, he raced over and seized the Goblin King's legs.

"Daddy! I want to go home with you and live in the Underground!" the boy declared. Jareth's heart lurched. It was what he'd dreamed about since he first started visiting his son. But one look at Sarah's hard face revealed it would never happen.

"No!" she declared in exasperation, glaring at Jareth. "Toby has to stay here and go to school."

"I don't want to go to school!" Toby shouted back. "It's hard, and it's boring, and none of the other kids know about goblins or swords or anything!"

"So help me, Goblin King, if you say _anything_—" Sarah began, and his temper flared.

"Kings do _not_ take well to being threatened," he warned her. "So I _suggest_ that you remain quiet, and allow me to deal with this."

The tip of her nose whitened in anger, but she held her tongue for once. Toby took unfortunate advantage of her silence to retort, "Yeah, you have to do what he says because he's a king, and you're not!"

Sarah stiffened, her eyes going livid. In a flash Jareth seized his son's shoulder and held him at arm's length.

"You will _not_ speak to your sister that way," he said coldly. "She is your elder, and deserves your respect. You will apologize to her now."

"I don't want to," Toby squirmed stubbornly.

"One," Jareth began. Toby's eyes widened. Counting was a form of punishment Jareth rarely used, but it was a very powerful incentive. If the Goblin King reached three without Toby obeying him, the boy would be punished by a spanking and a timeout. After the first couple times, he never failed to answer to the call.

"Two."

"I'm sorry Sarah! I didn't mean it!" Toby was almost crying. Sarah was looking uncomfortable, as she always did when Jareth took it upon himself to discipline his son. At the same time, she still had her arms folded across her chest, and he knew the issue of school attendance had not been dealt with.

He allowed his hold on Toby's shoulder to relax a fraction. His son smiled hesitantly as he realized the danger of counting was over.

"Does that mean I can come live with you in the Underground?"

Sarah stirred. He shot her a quelling look. She did not interfere. He forced himself to give Toby a stern look.

"You think you have what it takes to live in the Underground with me?"

"Oh yes, it's much better than going to school here!" Toby was jumping in excitement, making his sister scowl.

"What makes you think you won't have school in my world?" he asked sharply.

For the first time, Toby faltered.

"You would have to learn far more things in my world than if you stayed here. You don't know the first thing about living in the Underground. How do you calculate the taxes from the farmlands?"

"I-I don't know," Toby answered uncertainly.

"How would you address a letter to the King of the Slyphs?"

"I don't know."

"How do you serve the dishes at the High Table?"

"I don't know!"

"How deep would you bow to the Queen of the Fairies?"

The boy executed a clumsy bow.

"Wrong!" Jareth barked, making both his son and Sarah jump. "Who signed the Goblin Treaty of 1152?"

"You did!" Toby blurted desperately.

The man eyed his son cruelly. "A thousand years before I was born?" he scoffed. "You don't know the first thing about how to live in my world. Even an _infant_ would know the answer to these questions! You would have tutors from morning until night, and every time you got a question wrong, they have permission to beat you. Is that truly what you want?"

"Fine! Then I don't want to live with you! I'd rather stay here and go to school!" Toby tore away from him and stomped up to his room. The boy slammed his door, and an ominous silence fell. Jareth couldn't look at Sarah. What had he done? His stomach twisted, and he thought he was going to be sick. Why did he always have to be the one to disappoint his son's hopes and dreams?

"I'll go talk to him," Sarah whispered, and slipped past him to check on the boy.

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Sarah

Toby was distraught and crying on his bed. Sarah did her best to comfort him, but he was beyond consoling. She had conflicted feelings about the Goblin King. On one hand, she hated him for making her brother cry so hard. On the other hand, he had single-handedly convinced Toby to go back to school, when nothing she said had gotten through to him. Did his methods always have to be so high-handed? But what else could have persuaded Toby? Her brother's sobs faded as he fell asleep.

She crept downstairs again, surprised that the Goblin King was still here. He stood by a window, his back to her. He held one hand over his mouth, the other gripping his opposite elbow. The line of his shoulders was tight under his tailored jacket, the cloth straining against the seams. She approached cautiously.

"Jareth," she began slowly, "Thank you."

"Don't thank me!" he said harshly, not turning around. "All I have wanted since the day I saw my son was to take him home with me, and today I destroyed any chance of him wanting to be with me."

She felt a surge of guilt. There it was again: undeniable evidence that Jareth truly loved her brother. As much as she wanted to scorn that such a being could have genuine care for anyone but himself, he proved time and again that he would do anything for Toby.

"Why did you?" she asked. "If this was what you wanted, why did you say those things? Were any of them even true?"

"Every word," he ground out. "That was how _I_ was raised. I swore though, that when I had a son I would not abandon him to tutors and the like. No matter how far behind in knowledge he was, I could have taught him everything he needed to know. In a year you'd never notice he hadn't been raised in the Underground. But I knew you would never let me have him. And I will not have my son be a slackard or a dullard for refusing to learn."

His words struck her powerfully. He wanted the best for Toby. He _wanted_ to take her brother to the Underground, and raise him as a prince or whatever, but since that wasn't an option, he would see that Toby had the best possible education in her world. She really didn't know what to say about that. It would have been easier if he was only the arrogant, cruel villain she first thought he was. Then she could freely hate him and be done with him. Instead he was… _complex_. He looked forlorn standing there, still not facing her. Before she could think of something to say, he disappeared.

Toby was subdued for several days after his put-down by Jareth. He went to school without complaint, and she helped him with his schoolwork when he was feeling frustrated. He did not mention Jareth or the Underground again. Uncharacteristically, the Goblin King stayed away from them. It had gotten to the point where almost every moment that her parents were out of the house, Jareth would show up.

She used to resent his constant presence. He seemed to do it on purpose, as if he was deliberately goading her with her inability to keep him from Toby's side. But now he wasn't there. The weekend arrived. Technically it was Sarah's weekend with her brother. She had a loose agreement with the Goblin King that he could spend every other weekend with Toby, so that she still got to have time with Toby herself. It was like they were divorced parents sharing custody of their child. Still, even though it was supposed to be Sarah's weekend, it didn't stop Jareth from showing up most of the time, though he only spent a couple hours instead of all day there.

This time, however, there was nothing. Toby looked around hopefully, but there was no sign of Jareth, or even a stray goblin. It was as if they had never existed. At first Sarah was glad to be rid of Jareth's dubious influence over Toby, but it was hard to hold onto her vindictive satisfaction when she saw how crushed her brother was. A second week passed with no sign of an Underground presence. Toby tried to hide it, but it was clear he was deeply saddened by Jareth's absence.

The next weekend came. It was Jareth's time for a supervised visit with Toby. For half an hour her brother waited in the front room with her, a brokenly hopeful look on his face. When nothing happened, his head sunk low. For the first time ever, he willingly put himself to bed for a nap. Sarah watched him climb the stairs, wiping at his eyes and nose. Her heart was breaking for her brother, and she'd had enough of it.

She waited another half hour, just in case Jareth decided to show after all. She even checked on Toby's room, so see if he snuck in when she didn't see. The room was empty except for her brother's curled form. She stalked downstairs angrily. She stood in the middle of the front room and called out sharply, "Goblin King, get over here, now!"

"And to what do I owe this displeasure?" his voice asked darkly from behind her. She jumped and spun around. Jareth stood there, his legs braced and arms folded across his chest. He wore darker colors than normal, and there was a scowl on his face.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

He raised one eyebrow. "And what is it you think I'm doing?"

"You know very well what I'm talking about. You haven't been here for two weeks! You used to come every day!"

Something flickered in his expression, a hint of pain that he hid quickly. "I rather thought you'd be glad to be rid of me," he said silkily.

"Nu-uh!" she shook her head sharply. "No, you don't get to say that. You have a _son_ upstairs that's been crying for you for two weeks. _You_ don't get to abandon him like that. I _know_ what that feels like, and you are not going to do that to my brother." Visions of her mother's leaving danced in her head, and she had to force them back.

His expression softened, and his arms relaxed to their sides. His voice was vulnerable when he spoke again. "I thought I was being too much of a disrupting influence," he said. "I thought, if I stayed away, he wouldn't be pining away after things he can't have, that he could focus more on his life here."

Damn him. She wanted to hate him for what he'd done. She thought he left just like her mother had, for selfish reasons. Instead, he had once again attempted to do the right thing. A month ago she would have rejoiced to see the last of him. Now, she realized how much Toby loved his father.

"Well, now you have a little boy upstairs that thinks you don't love him anymore," she choked back her tears.

Jareth paled. "No," he whispered, looking stricken. "I swear I love him more than life. You have no idea how hard it's been for me to stay away."

"Then prove it," she demanded. "My mother left when I was ten, and she never looked back once. So I know how it feels when your parents don't love you anymore. Prove that you love Toby. Go to him, and don't you dare disappear like this again. If you can't come for whatever Goblin King reason, then leave a message. But if you can't handle being here for your son when he needs you, leave now and don't come back."

She had to turn away then, hot tears burning at her eyes. She was supposed to be an adult, but it still hurt that Linda had never made an attempt to look back at the daughter she'd left behind. She would give anything to spare Toby that kind of pain. He was only five, and deserved so much more than to be toyed with like this.

She didn't hear anything behind her, but suddenly Jareth placed his hand on her shoulder. She jumped.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, and she had the feeling he was apologizing for more than Toby. What had he said the first time she confronted him? His people loved their children, and did not abandon them. That was more than could be said of a lot of humans.


	7. Year 5 Part 2

**A/N: Thanks for your reviews! Happy Father's Day everyone! I wasn't going to, but I couldn't NOT update a story about a father's love on Father's Day! This is the second half of year 5. I hope it continues with the "feels," as it finally contains some good moments between Sarah and Jareth. SO who's up for a first date?**

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Year 5 Part 2

Sarah

Jareth's hand slipped away, and she turned to see him walking up the stairs with a look of determination on his face. She followed curiously. He entered Toby's room, saw that Sarah was behind him, and left the door open for her.

"Toby," he called softly, sitting on the edge of the bed. Toby didn't stir. Jareth put his hand gently on the boy's back. At once he stiffened and shot her a look of alarm. Fear jolted through her heart. Something was wrong. She came into the room as Jareth picked up her sleeping brother. His face was red with fever, his breathing labored. Jareth conjured a crystal and rolled it over Toby's head and chest. Bit by bit, the redness went down, and his breathing eased. Toby stirred and opened his eyes.

"Daddy?" he asked drowsily. Both Jareth and Sarah sighed with relief. They exchanged a look of mutual understanding.

"Yes, my son, I'm here," Jareth replied.

"Daddy!" Toby sat up and threw his arms around the Goblin King's neck.

"My son," Jareth crooned, hugging the boy. "Did those icky humans give you one of their nasty diseases?"

"Hey!" she protested, but it was more of an absent thing. She was too grateful that Jareth had been able to heal her brother again.

"I missed you, Daddy," Toby sobbed. "Are you mad at me?"

"I missed you too," Jareth said. "Of course I'm not mad at you. I'm sorry I stayed away for so long. I won't do it again, I promise." He looked over Toby's shoulder at Sarah, nodding slightly. He meant it. He would be there for Toby no matter what.

"Do you love me?"

"I love you," Jareth responded promptly. "I love you very much, and nothing can ever change that."

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I'm sorry that I asked to go with you, and I won't do it again, I promise! I'll be a good boy, and I'll do good at school and everything!" Toby began crying, getting his fears off his chest. Jareth's face was too painful to look at.

"No, my son," he said hoarsely. "Don't be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong." He rocked Toby tenderly. Sarah had seen enough.

"Jareth," she said quietly. He looked up at her. "Can you do that thing where Toby can't hear us?"

He gestured, and then nodded. "It's done. What is it?"

She cleared her throat. "I guess… I was a bit wrong about you. And… if you want to take him somewhere… you have my permission. Only not the Underground," she added hastily. "It has to be somewhere in this world. And please, not too far away." She was taking a big risk, trusting the Goblin King this way, but something told her it was the right thing to do.

His expression said he understood how difficult this was for her. "Thank you," he said. "I promise to return him before your parents return. I would never do anything to jeopardize your standing with them."

She nodded. "Thanks. I'm, um, going to leave you now." She turned and walked away. Despite trusting him, it was hard to do. She'd never willingly left Toby in his hands before. But after seeing the way he cared so deeply, it was impossible to keep up her animosity toward him. She heard Jareth's voice as she went downstairs slowly, followed by Toby's giggle. A moment later, the house was quiet.

It _felt_ empty, with only Merlin snoring by the front door. Her heart clenched briefly, but she forced herself to breathe through it. She would trust the Goblin King to return her brother. She just never noticed before how lonely the house was without someone else in it. Well, at least she could do her homework without distraction.

In the end, her trust in Jareth was well-placed. They came back within the hour. Toby was excited and bouncing as he talked with his father. Jareth listened indulgently, a fond smile on his face. Sarah was in the middle of homework, and content for now to allow the man to continue to watch her brother. He approached her when they first came back, and held out an ice cream cone to her. She recognized the wrapping on the cone as one from an ice cream parlor less than three miles from her house. He had stayed close, as she'd asked. It felt like a peace offering, and she smiled shyly as she took it.

From then on, there was a new peace between Jareth and Sarah. They made an effort to be polite to each other, and it was surprisingly easy for her to get along with him. It was unclear who was more surprised by this development, but for Toby's sake they put their differences aside. Sarah began trusting Jareth more with Toby. She still would not let them go Underground, but she didn't mind them traveling so much anymore. For the most part, Jareth kept within their same town, taking Toby to the park or to arcades. The few times when he did want to travel further, he spoke with Sarah about it first, and she agreed to let Toby go.

She also began trusting him to pick Toby up at school. With her own college classes piling on more work, it was sometimes difficult to get to Toby's school to take him home. Both Karen and Robert often spent 12 or 14 hours outside the house every day, and relied heavily on Sarah as their live-in babysitter. She didn't mind, but she didn't realize how much pressure that put on her until Jareth began to share her workload. On the rare occasion when his duties kept him away, he always sent a crystal or a goblin (though the crystal was more reliable) to warn her ahead of time.

For the first time, she actually had spare time for herself. She found a part-time job in her college bookstore. They were really good about working with her hours, so she was able to arrange to work during times when she was supposed to be watching Toby. Karen and Robert never knew she got a job, and Jareth was more than happy to take his son during those couple hours a week.

She also met a guy. He was kind of geeky, but in a cute way. He came into the bookstore often before he finally asked her out. She worried about staying out too late, but Jareth assured her he could stay Aboveground for that long. He did something to connect her cellphone to a crystal, so she could send and receive texts from him if needed. It had been so long since Sarah was on a date that she was very nervous about it. She kept checking her cellphone, half-hoping there would be a reason for her to come home early.

They were only an hour into the date, and the guy had noticed her preoccupation. She explained vaguely about her brother and the babysitter, but he didn't seem to understand.

"You're like, sickly obsessed with your brother," he said. "Just give it a rest."

At that point Sarah politely thanked him for the date, and left the restaurant. He called after her, but she refused to answer. She also refused to let him drive her home. It was only a few blocks to her house, and she used that time to compose herself. How was it that every time she tried to go out with someone, they didn't actually like who she was outside of the date?

She arrived home and was surprised that Toby and Jareth were still there. She thought they were supposed to go to some kind of carnival.

"Toby just finished his homework," Jareth explained, "We were getting ready to leave." He eyed her knowingly. She thought she was hiding her disappointment well, and smiled brightly.

"Well, that's great!" she said in a too-happy voice. "Have fun now!" She started to turn away so she could mope in her room, but Jareth caught her arm unexpectedly. He rolled his wrist, and a trio of goblins suddenly appeared.

"Toby, go play in the backyard for a bit," he said, ushering boy and goblins outside.

She forced the smile to remain on her face. "Is there something you need?" she asked. Her voice started to crack, and she coughed to cover it.

He pulled her into the kitchen and sat her down at the table. For a moment she thought he was going to make her a cup of coffee, but instead he produced a crystal, and rolled it across the table toward her. When it reached her, it became an old-fashioned cup of tea. She blinked in surprise.

"What is this for?" she asked innocently. He simply watched her, and her cheerful veneer broke. She looked down quickly as tears welled up in her eyes. She picked up the tea and sipped. She would have preferred coffee, but at that moment any warm beverage was welcome.

"Thank you," she whispered hoarsely.

"Are you harmed?" he asked. He had a strange way of asking, almost archaic. He looked odd, when she dared glace at him through blurry eyes. The Goblin King, in all his finery, leaning against her plain suburbia kitchen counter.

She shook her head. "I'm fine." Her voice and hand trembled. She took another sip of tea. She was determined to say nothing more, but the silence grew on her. Words began to spill out, even though she hadn't given them permission.

"Is there something wrong with me? Is there something bad about me being concerned for my family?" Not her family, she realized. Toby. Her dates always ended badly when Toby was brought up. It was like guys these days couldn't stand the thought of families or children. But Toby was part of her life, and she wasn't willing to cut him out for some guy she hardly knew.

"Is it so wrong to hope for someone who actually likes children?" she asked rhetorically. "I want to know that a guy is going to treat my brother well before I agree to see him. Is that so much to ask for? What is wrong with guys these days? They act like watching out for my brother is some kind of crime. Men are jerks." She glanced up at Jareth.

He was smiling faintly, his gaze distant. She flushed with embarrassment that she had been revealing her frustrations, and he wasn't paying attention to her. His eyes snapped to hers. She was unprepared for the look of understanding he gave her.

"I don't think it's unreasonable to hope for your partner to share your family values," he said calmly. "I understand your search for someone you'd trust with Toby. I went through a similar search when I… thought he was going to be my son."

She relaxed slightly. "He is your son," she confessed. It was getting easier to do that these days. "You just have a different family."

He smiled again, and she was startled by the way it made his face light up. She'd never allowed herself to see the Goblin King as more than an opponent. She only recent began seeing him as a person who cared for Toby, and now he'd shown at least a little concern for her as well.

"Daddy, can I come in now?" Toby called from the backyard door.

Jareth raised his eyebrows at her in a silent question.

"You can come in, Toby," she called back to her brother. He entered and climbed into her lap. The goblins followed and started to jump onto the kitchen counters until Jareth gave them a stern look, and they decided it was safer to return Underground.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked her.

"I am, thanks," she said, hugging Toby. Maybe she was concerned for Toby, but frankly, if not for her and Jareth, her brother wouldn't have parents in his life.

"We're going to the carnival, do you want to come?" Toby asked excitedly.

Her heart squeezed briefly. "No, this is your time to enjoy with Jareth, you go have fun."

"Sarah," Jareth asked, "Would you like to come with us?"

She gave him an astonished look. Never once, in all this time, had he invited her along on their outings. She figured it was fair that they get that father-son bonding time since otherwise they rarely got to see each other.

"You don't mind?" she asked quietly.

"Please come, Sarah! It'd be funner if you were there!"

"More fun," Jareth corrected absently. He stepped forward and held his gloved hand out to her. There was a look in his eyes, a secret smile that hovered over his lips. Suddenly she felt a lot better. She took his hand, and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

They teleported into a busy carnival. They were immediately surrounded by the loud bells and whistles and flashing lights of carnival games. The scent of caramel corn and hot dogs assaulted her nose, making her mouth water. She squeezed Jareth's hand without realizing it, bouncing up on her toes in excitement. A wide grin split her face. He squeezed her hand back with a rich chuckle. She glanced at him in surprise, and blushed as she noticed they were still holding hands. She released him at once, though he didn't seem to mind.

Toby shouted and began to tug toward the carnival. Jareth held him back to a sedate pace, though the boy ran back and forth like a dog at the end of the leash. Sarah walked beside Jareth, and he reached out to touch the small of her back. She decided that she didn't mind his touch either.

Toby went on the pony ride, and then visited the petting zoo. Sarah narrowly convinced Toby to leave the rabbits behind, though he begged for a rabbit until Jareth asked, "If you get a rabbit, how am I supposed to give you a pony for your birthday?"

Toby's eyes got huge. "A pony?" he whispered. Sarah gave the Goblin King a narrowed-eyed look behind her brother's back and shook her head emphatically. He gave her a sly wink, so that she couldn't tell if he was being serious or teasing.

After the petting zoo were the carnival games. Toby wanted to try every one. Sarah tried to caution him to moderation, but Jareth touched her arm and shook his head. He was just fine with Toby trying all of them, and as he paid with his own money, she couldn't complain too much.

"Do I dare ask how you're paying for all of this?" she wondered out loud.

"No," Jareth responded promptly. "You don't want to know how Toby and I held up a bank last week."

She started to laugh, but he gave her such a serious look that her stomach swooped. "What?" she asked a little too loudly. He smiled again, that smug smirk that said he knew things that she didn't. She was _almost_ certain he was teasing, but part of her was left wondering.

Toby did poorly in most of the games, but he handed his last tokens to Jareth, and the Goblin King always scored perfectly. He didn't try hard, and he didn't use magic, but his darts, balls and rings landed without fail on target. They both persuaded Sarah to try a few games, where she was mediocre at best. At one point Jareth won a giant bear. Toby reached for it eagerly, but to Sarah's shock, he gave it to her instead.

"This one is for Sarah," he said firmly.

She held the bear, blushing hard. It was such a… date-night thing to do, and she didn't have anything to give back to him. She hadn't even _been_ thinking of this as a kind of date. She fretted over the bear for several minutes, so that she followed behind Jareth and Toby without keeping track of them. By the time she looked up again, Jareth had won a second giant animal for Toby, this one a particularly ugly green money that rather resembled a goblin. Sarah relaxed at that. This wasn't a date. One did not bring their little brothers on dates. Jareth was just being courteous about giving her a stuffed animal.

Next was the food. Toby was wild with excitement, and wanted to try some of everything. This time Jareth did manage to hold him down to three different items. Toby couldn't possibly eat it all, but he took several bites of each, and Jareth and Sarah shared the left-overs. There was something very… familial about it. It felt odd to have someone else to watch out for Toby for once. It wasn't a bad kind of odd though. She was able to relax and enjoy herself more, and never once did Jareth show any kind of frustration at her kid brother's presence. She felt close to both of them, as if they were truly a nuclear family instead of the weird and sometimes strained relationships that actually existed.

After the bear incident, Sarah felt some internal pressure that she should be paying more attention to Jareth. He brought them here, paid for her food and games, won her a bear. By any definition, she was on a date with him. But Toby being with them changed everything. All her other dates immediately went sour whenever her brother was even mentioned, but this date was perfect. Except that it wasn't really a date. Was it? She didn't know what to think anymore.

Once they were done eating, Toby wanted to go on some rides. Sarah chose to sit by the side while Jareth went on the little kiddie roller coaster with him. She watched fondly as the tall man folded himself into the small carts. He was always exactly what Toby needed. Comfort when he was scared, cheering when he was excited, a firm hand when he was too wild. She couldn't help but to smile at them. They looked like a perfect father-son combination.

They waved to her from a carousel, and she waved back.

"Aww, he's really good with the little one, isn't he?" said another woman standing over a stroller. Sarah jumped a little at being addressed, but agreed fondly, "Yeah, he is."

There was one last ride that Toby wanted to go on before going home: the giant Ferris wheel. It was getting late, dark and cold, but both of the males persuaded her to take this final ride. They waited in line for a while. Toby started to shiver a little. Jareth frowned and conjured a jacket out of nothing for him. Sarah hissed at him to be careful with his magic, but he only gave her one of those infuriating looks, as if nothing he did was ever wrong. Looking around, it was clear no one had noticed at all. She couldn't really complain when it meant her brother was no longer shivering.

She was starting to notice the cold herself when Jareth shrugged out of a jacket he hadn't been wearing a moment ago and placed it on her shoulders. She jumped and stared at him uncertainly. The jacket was warm and smelled like him: fresh grass and the exciting tingle of magic. He _could_ have just conjured a jacket like Toby's, but instead he had created one for himself, which he promptly gave to him. If that wasn't date criteria, she didn't know what was. How often had she dreamed that one day a guy would give her his jacket like this? She simply did not know what to do with the Goblin King. She wondered now if he was offended about her statements against men earlier in her kitchen, and was trying to prove her wrong. Well, he had, in abundance.

They were fourth back in line when Sarah noticed a problem. This ride, like many of the others, had a height requirement. It was clear that Toby was at least six inches too short to meet the line. She tugged at Jareth's arm and subtly indicated the sign. She didn't want Toby to notice, but she knew he was going to be disappointed. Jareth, on the other hand, was not the least concerned. He leaned close to her.

"Let me deal with it," he murmured in her ear, his warm breath tickling her cheek. She shivered and blushed as if he was whispering sweet nothings instead. He tilted his head at her, and she jumped as she felt the fleece lining of the jacket grow thicker around her. She smiled helplessly at nothing. He really was determined to take care of her this evening.

They reached the front of the line, and the ride operator made Toby stand against the sign. Jareth coughed casually into his hand, and where her brother had been too short before, he was now unmistakably two inches over the line. She stared in astonishment, until she happened to look down and realized that Toby was floating in the air. She felt faint with the certainty that someone was going to discover the magically enhanced boy, but it seemed that everyone around her was blindly oblivious to anything miraculous happening.

Toby skipped happily ahead to the Ferris wheel car and jumped in. Jareth gently lowered him, until his feet were firmly on the ground again. The adults got in, one on either side of the boy. The ride operator gave Toby a suspicious glance as he lowered the restraining bar, but couldn't say anything since the boy had already passed the line test.

Toby was squirming in his seat and eager for the ride to start. It moved slowly at first, making frequent stops to let new people on the ride. They were doing well until about the third stop, when Toby discovered an acute fear of heights. He looked down and froze.

"I don't like this anymore, I'm going to fall!" he exclaimed tearfully. Sarah felt the same worry for him, for it was clear that the bar which held her and Jareth in place would be far too easy for Toby to slip under. She had a terrifying vision of her brother falling to his death. She should have trusted the Goblin King more.

"You're not going to fall," Jareth said smoothly, reaching out and gripping Toby's hand. The boy clutched at him tightly.

"I'm going to fall! Get me off, I don't want to go higher!"

"Toby! Do you believe that I'd let you fall?"

"N-no," he said doubtfully, but clearly his fear was overpowering him.

Jareth conjured a crystal and twisted it in midair. Suddenly Toby was wearing what looked like a miniature sky-diving harness, without the parachute in back. There was a sturdy handle instead, and Jareth made a show of grabbing it and holding on to show how secure it was. He nodded to her, and she took a second grip on the handle. She tried not to think how her hand was touching Jareth's, and how the Ferris wheel was usually a place where couples came to cuddle.

"We have you, and we're not going to let go," he promised firmly.

"You promise?" Toby asked in a tiny voice. He looked between his guardians, and slowly relaxed his death-grip on the seat.

"We promise," she said.

"And you know what, if you do get too scared, I'm just going to turn us all into birds, and then we'll fly away and be perfectly safe," Jareth said.

Both Sarah and Toby stared at him. "You can do that?" she asked.

He winked at her. "What kind of bird do you want to be, Toby?"

"An eagle!" The boy forgot his fear in the light of this new possibility. "What about you, Sarah, what kind of bird would you want to be?"

She thought about flying, and felt rather queasy. "Just a plain pigeon for me," she swallowed hard. Jareth flexed his grip on Toby's handle, and his fingers brushed her wrist. Warmth spread from the spot.

"I think you'd be a good bluebird," he said quietly.

She thought of the pretty birds, and felt better. With Toby feeling secure in their grip, he began to enjoy the ride he had looked forward to. They went around three times, and then began to stop-start pattern as people began to offload again. While they were paused at the top, Toby actually enjoyed the sight of seeing all the lights under him. Jareth got a mischievous look on his face, and then tossed a crystal in the air. Fireworks erupted over them, normal ones that were just explosions, and obviously magical ones that formed into butterflies and dragons. Toby gasped and exclaimed over each one, until there was no doubt this was his favorite part of the day. The show lasted until they began moving again. Jareth made the harness disappear as they got closer to the ground. Toby was so excited that he wanted to go again, but by this time they needed to get home before Karen and Robert did.

He didn't pout like Sarah expected. He was worn out for his long day, and as the excitement wore off, he began to yawn widely. Jareth picked him up, slinging the ugly goblin-monkey over his back. Sarah carried her bear in one hand. Quite unashamedly, Jareth reached out and took her free hand. Her heart jolted a little. They walked for a short time, and then he squeezed her hand in warning. Between one step and the next, they disappeared from the carnival, and reappeared in the house.

It seemed very cold and quiet after the frenzied rush of the carnival, but it was a welcome reprieve from the noise. Toby was sleeping soundly on Jareth's shoulder, so the Goblin King carried him up to bed. He kept hold of her hand, so that she followed him quite helplessly. Tonight had been perfect, and something she could have never believed was possible. They put Toby to bed, and then silently left the room. In the hallway, they faced each other. There was a new accord between them, and it was full of a restless energy that made her uncomfortable. She felt a certain _expectation_, but she didn't know how to go about it.

"Jareth," she began slowly, "I had a really good time tonight."

"I'm glad," he said, simply watching her with his strange eyes.

"I'm sorry, for what I said before," she blurted out. He raised an eyebrow, and she flushed. "About men being jerks, I mean," she clarified. "You're not a jerk, and I never meant it that way."

"I figured that," he said with dry humor. He took her hand, making her heart skip a beat.

"Until next time, Sarah," he said, and kissed the back of her hand. He released her slowly, giving his trademark smirk, and then he disappeared just as she heard the front door opening. She leaned against the wall, and tried to control her breathing. She didn't know if he meant to be so… romantic with her, but she couldn't deny that her heart was beating faster because of him.

Jareth

The Goblin King sprawled on his throne in the Underground. The sounds of snoring goblins were all around him, but he paid them no notice. It was late, and he was tired, but he wasn't ready to sleep yet. He held a crystal in his hand, and used it to watch a certain house where his family lived in the Aboveground. He was stunned by the events of this night, and the first to admit that he did not know where to go from here. Something had happened that he never thought possible. There was that one time, years ago. A certain peach-dream that was never fulfilled, but now…

He didn't know how it had happened. Yes, they had made an effort to put their differences aside for Toby's sake. What he hadn't expected was that when he let go of his prejudices toward Sarah she was… actually a nice person. Her dedication to her brother was admirable. When she came home, obviously distressed but trying to hide it, all he knew was that he didn't want her to hurt. He hadn't known how to talk to her, but sometimes just providing a sympathetic ear was enough. Hearing her struggles reminded him of himself during her run, and that frantic search for someone who would love his son as much as he did. It reconfirmed that his impressions of her during that time were correct.

And then he invited her along to the carnival. He'd wanted to invite her before Toby spoke up, but had been unsure of her reaction. He just knew she shouldn't be alone after her disappointment. It was supposed to have been a friends-only kind of deal. He wanted to cheer her up, not court her. But once she looked up at him, something had begun to shift inside him. It only grew stronger throughout the night. Several times she blushed so prettily, he knew her thoughts tended toward his.

Now he watched the house through his crystal, as he had often done before. Only this time, the view was not centered on his son, as it always had been in the past. Now it was focused on the boy's sister, watching her sleep. Jareth traced her faint smile with his finger, and wondered what she dreamed. If it was anything like the dreams stirring in his heart this night… Well then, he could be very happy indeed. He was very much afraid he was starting to fall for the one he once thought of as a child-thief.


	8. Year 6 Part 1

**A/N: Thanks for your reviews! I'm glad everyone liked year 5. It was fun to think of ways for Sarah and Jareth to clash, and then have them work out their issues. And then once they stop seeing each other as opponents, I get to put in that carnival scene, which is a real eye-opener for them. Now we get year 6, which introduces trouble on our little family.**

** I think I'm going to be posting twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays. I'm as eager to get this story out there as you are to read it!**

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Year 6

Jareth

Jareth spent a lot of time Aboveground with his son and Sarah, and it had not gone unnoticed. As the Goblin King who took the wished-away children, his duties permitted him to travel easily back and forth between the realms. However, he was not expected to _stay_ Aboveground for quite so long, and it was making other Fae, especially those on the High Council, nervous.

When the Age of Reason, and later the Age of Industry began to grow in the Aboveground, there had been a collective panic in the Underground as the Fae feared that Man's fading belief in magic would diminish the amount of children sent to them. Jareth himself had weathered the changes better than most. His frequent visits Aboveground allowed him to keep a close eye on the so-called human progress. While he found that people called less upon the _goblins_ to take away their unwanted children, there were still plenty who wished away young without thought of the consequences. So long as there was a genuine—at that moment—desire for the child to be taken away, he could still come. He still offered to let them run the Labyrinth. Some tried, some didn't bother. Only one ever made it through, but that came much later.

Jareth gave several reports to the High Council, and they were slightly mollified by his words. They were even more reassured when the flow of children into the Labyrinth remained steady. If anything, with a rapidly expanding population in the last couple hundred years, the Labyrinth was busier than ever. It was sometimes difficult to balance his duties to the waiting Fae families Underground with the needs of his family Aboveground. Especially since it wasn't only Toby that called him there anymore.

He didn't know where he stood with Sarah Williams. He hadn't officially begun courting her, but he knew he was interested in her. Courting was a serious thing for Fae. Humans were far more casual about it, but for Fae the breaking of a courtship was as almost as devastating as the breaking of a betrothal. He did not know how humans could be informal about such a thing, but that was what held him back. If he began to court her in earnest, then he had already decided to take her as a wife, and thus far… he hadn't.

He enjoyed spending time with both her and his son, but he had not broached the subject of seeing her alone. On occasion, when he was with her, their arms brushed, or he took her hand. She did not pull away from him, which was encouraging in his mind. She no longer talked about going out with other men, which he also thought was positive. But he knew that could change in an instant, and with his previous experience with her, he was leery of allowing his heart to go too far.

Right now, though, his biggest problem was not the maybe-relationship with Sarah. It was the High Council. Lord Kortal was the first to visit him. Jareth returned to the Labyrinth after a pleasant evening with Sarah and Toby to find the older Fae waiting for him in the throne room. He was immediately wary. Members of the High Council did not stop by unannounced for any good reason.

"Lord Kortal," he greeted neutrally.

"King Jareth," Kortal returned.

The Goblin King's mind raced, trying to remember everything he knew about Kortal. He was a mid-ranking member of the Council, above the young lackeys that bore the grunt work, but not so high that his very presence could be considered a threat. This was a warning then.

"I'd like to offer my condolences," Kortal said with a bare hint of condescension. Jareth gave him a blank look, and he elaborated, "I heard about the child you attempted to adopt, but was taken from you."

Jareth felt a chill. He was talking about Toby. The High Council had no idea that he had never surrendered his son completely, and he was perfectly content keeping it that way. It was clear they suspected something though, or they would not have sent Kortal to investigate him.

"It was an unfortunate event," he said stiffly.

"Yes, quite. There have been several children through here since then, have there not? Did you never think of adopting a different one?"

"There are so many families waiting for children, I chose not to reserve another for myself," he said casually.

"Especially since you could not hold onto the first one."

His fists clenched. Kortal was forgetting his place. He might have been a member of the High Council, but Jareth was a King in his own kingdom. He was the one with greater authority here.

"Is there something I can help you with?" he asked curtly.

"You do good work here," Kortal mused. "Many families in the Underground are grateful to you. But you've been more absent of late."

"My duties often take me elsewhere."

"To the Aboveground?"

"Naturally."

"But to one particular place, all the time?"

They were watching him. It was the only explanation for how they knew he spent most of his time in the same place.

"Does it matter where I spent my time, so long as my duties are accomplished? Has there been a complaint that I've neglected those dependent on me?" His voice was sharp, answering challenge with challenge. Kortal met his eyes for a moment. The other Fae looked away first.

"No, nothing of the sort. We are just concerned, since the Labyrinth is vital to all of us in the Underground. We would hate to see you… distracted."

"I assure you, I can manage my own distractions quite well. If there is nothing else, have a good day, Lord Kortal." Jareth dismissed him.

"See that you do, King Jareth," Kortal said gravely, and took his leave. As soon as he was gone, Jareth sent a crystal to his closest friend in the Underground. His heart was pounding, both with fear for his son—and Sarah—and with rage that the High Council would dare interfere with him. He wanted to tear into all of them, to show them that he was not some tame lap dog they could order around, but the Goblin King!

Neiven was quick to answer Jareth's invitation. He appeared in the middle of Jareth's brooding, and immediately Jareth felt his mood lightening.

"Neiven, thanks for coming on such short notice," he said in welcome.

"No problem, Jareth. It's been a long time, I'm glad to see you," Neiven replied as they grasped forearms. Jareth transported them from his throne room to his sitting room, where they might talk in comfort.

"I know, I'm sorry," Jareth said with remorse. "How is your family?"

Neiven's face lit up. "They're doing well, thanks! My oldest just turned a century, you should see him. He's getting moody, though."

Jareth chuckled. "They always do at that age. Can I offer you something to drink?"

"Yes, thank you."

The Goblin King waved his hand, and a bottle of wine appeared. There was silence while he uncorked it and poured them both a glass. Neiven savored the vintage. Jareth watched his friend fondly. Neiven was marginally older, though they had been born the same century. Unlike Jareth, who was considered a full-blooded Fae, Neiven's grandfather had been a wished-away child, making him a quarter human. His wife was half-human herself, and so their three children were considered a quarter human as well. So long as the children married someone whose human blood was more than two generations back, Neiven's grandchildren would be as full-blooded Fae as Jareth. However, it was for his friend's position on the High Council that he had invited him over.

Neiven was technically not considered a full member of the Council, but he worked as a kind of archivist for them, recording their meetings, transcribing notes, and looking up obscure old tomes for reference. No one had a better grasp of Underground law than Neiven.

The other Fae cleared his throat, a sad look on his face. "Jareth, I heard about the boy you were going to adopt… I'm sorry for your loss. It's never easy to lose a child, no matter how long you've had them."

The words were eerily similar to Lord Kortal's, causing Jareth to react curtly.

"It is of no consequence," he waved his hand dismissively.

Neiven blinked in surprise.

"I need help with the High Council," he said. His friend gave him a suspicious look. Neiven had an agile mind, and as a father himself, it would only be a matter of time before he realized why Jareth was not grieving for the lost child.

"What is happening?" Neiven straightened in his chair.

"Lord Kortal visited me right before I invited you. The High Council thinks I'm spending too much time Aboveground."

"As part of your duties, or outside them?"

"As part of them," he responded firmly. He had a duty to his son, and nothing was going to deter him from that.

"Then they have no case against you. It is very unusual that you've caught their attention, though. Have you changed your patterns lately?"

"You could say that, yes."

"That is why, then. You're full blooded Fae, and they get nervous when one of the full-bloods start to do something out of the norm."

Jareth scoffed. "Everyone on the Council is full-blooded as well. Anyone whose grandparent is not a pure human is considered full-blooded. It's hardly a grand distinction."

Neiven frowned. "More than you know. The bloodlines have always been more concentrated in the royalty."

Jareth paused. "What do you mean? I have humans in my ancestry. Everyone does these days."

"Yes, but how far back was your last human ancestor?"

"I think five or six generations… what?"

Neiven was shaking his head. "I've seen your lineage. It's at least eight or nine generations, and even then, it was a Goblin King who married a half-human, not one of the wished-aways."

"So?"

"So your bloodline, though it is mixed with human, is one of the purest left. Not one of the High Council can claim they have so few humans in their ancestry. It makes you different, even if you don't realize it. Most families are unable to have children without frequent intakes of human-blood. Some think it is the Labyrinth that helps sustain your line, and others believe it is your frequent trips Aboveground. You are more powerful than you realize. Most other Fae must wait until the veil between worlds is at its thinnest to travel back and forth, and oftentimes they are poisoned by the world above. You travel whenever you want, and are never the least bit sickened."

"I never knew," Jareth sat back thoughtfully. He had always taken his strength and abilities for granted, and assumed any Fae of great power, especially those on the High Council, were similarly endowed.

"Indeed. And they can't force you to step down and put one of their own men in your place, because it's well documented that the Labyrinth only responds to one of your direct bloodline."

Now Jareth frowned, thinking of his son. "So no Goblin King has even adopted a wished-away child before?"

"It is very, very rare, but it has happened. The Labyrinth will respond to someone the Goblin King has a heartbond with, but always that child, if they inherit the Labyrinth, ends up marrying someone related to the previous Goblin King. Blood calls to blood, and the Labyrinth will not relinquish yours."

Jareth nodded. There was no doubt he shared a heartbond with Toby. He had from the first moment he fell in love with his son. It crossed all borders and boundaries, and allowed him to be aware of his son even in another world.

"So you see," Neiven continued, "They need the position you occupy as Goblin King, but they fear you are gathering too much power as well. Any time you change your patterns, they are going to be concerned you are plotting against them."

Jareth scoffed. "That is ridiculous. I have no desire to become King over the Underground. All I want is for my family to be left in peace." Too late he realized what he said. Neiven's eyes widened in shock.

"You never gave up the boy," he whispered. "Jareth, what have you done? That's against the law!"

The Goblin King refused to be ruffled. If he really was as powerful as Neiven said, he had little to fear from the High Council. On the other hand, Toby and Sarah were more vulnerable. Perhaps he should set goblins to guard them.

"I returned the boy," he corrected. "I just… never left after that."

"So _that's_ why you have the Council in such a tizzy, because you've been spending all your time in one place. They think you're building up a power base against them."

"I'm not. I'm only visiting my son."

"Jareth," Neiven shook his head. "He's not your son. Underground law clearly states that you were supposed to have no further contact with him after he was won back."

"He is my son!" the Goblin King barked. "That is a stupid law anyway, who decided that a runner could try to win back a wished-away child?"

"One of the previous Goblin Kings, actually," Neiven pointed out. "It was a fail-safe, put in place by your ancestor, just in case there was a worthy care-giver for the wished-away. It was supposed to prevent children from being taken from families that actually deserved them."

Jareth snorted. Toby's biological parents barely had anything to do with him. Sarah, however… Yes, he would consider her a worthy care-giver. "It doesn't matter. Law may say he is not my son, but I have a heartbond with him. I have power over him. I can heal him. He accepted his dreams when I offered them to him."

"How old was he when you offered the dreams to him?"

Jareth gritted his teeth. "Less than twelve months, by human counting."

"Jareth, you fool! That is well below the age of accountability! He cannot be held responsible for his actions, either by human or Fae standards. You _know_ this!"

"Yes, but it changes nothing. I do have limited power over him. I can heal him, and I can take him places with his care-giver's permission."

Neiven paled. "You have contact with the boy's human family?"

"One of them. My son's sister, the one who won him back."

"Well, at least you have not revealed yourself to the whole world up there. No wonder the Council is pissed at you. When they find out about this, I wouldn't be surprised if there's a collective apoplexy."

"I fail to see what the problem is," Jareth gritted out. "He is my son. I am hardly planning a rebellion. I'm only trying to raise my child."

"But that makes it worse, don't you see? You're not supposed to have anything to do with that boy, but you formed a heartbond with him. That's why you can heal him, and why you've been able to visit him still. The law says he is not your son, but the heartbond is irrefutable. So suddenly, not only do they have arguably the most powerful Fae in the Underground acting differently, but he is raising his son outside of the Underground. You don't get it. The other Fae fear and loathe the Aboveground. If you're raising your son there, does that mean you're not going to send other children Underground again? The entire fate of the Underground rests on you. If you stopped taking children, our race would die out within a few generations. Once the human blood grew too distant, there would be no more children born here."

Jareth was silent for a long while. "That has never been my intention. I loved my son. I could not give him up, even though the law said I had to."

"I know."

"What do I do?"

"I know better than to tell a father to give up his son," Neiven began.

Jareth looked up sharply. Neiven held up a hand.

"I'm a father too, remember. I know what it's like to have a heartbond with your mate and your children. You may not have a mate, but I believe that your connection to your son is very real. You can't give him up. I don't suppose you could take him to live in the Underground with you?"

Jareth thought of Sarah and shook his head. Their relationship had improved drastically in the last couple years, but she would never relinquish her brother to him.

Neiven sighed. "Then the best you can do is go to the Council and prove that you haven't changed. Prove that you still have their best interests at heart, and at most they might give you godfather status over the boy."

Jareth growled. "That is not acceptable!"

"I know that. You know that. But unless you bring the boy to live with you here, they will be too frightened to let you keep him as your son."

He clenched his fists. All he wanted was to raise his son. Once Toby was considered an adult according to humans, Jareth would no longer need Sarah's permission to take him anywhere. Then he could ask if Toby want to live with him. But that was still many years away, and the Council was breathing down his neck now.

"So…" Neiven broke into his thoughts. "When do I get to meet your son, Dad?"

Despite the turmoil inside him, Jareth smiled. His closest friend acknowledged Toby as his. What did it matter what a bunch of old, frightened Fae thought of his unorthodox family?


	9. Year 6 Part 2

**A/N: Thanks for your reviews! I enjoy reading them probably as much as you enjoy reading my story! Here is part 2 of year 6. Sarah has to deal with an unexpected part of Jareth's duties.**

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Year 6 Part 2

Sarah

Robert shut the door on the way to work. Sarah automatically checked to make sure it was locked. Toby was still asleep, and she had some time to get breakfast started before he stirred. She turned away from the door and almost walked into Jareth. She jumped and stumbled backwards. He caught her arms, holding her closely.

"Sarah," he said, his voice breathy and urgent. Her heart gave a little jump. They weren't really _seeing_ each other, but she'd been noticing lately how handsome he was, and she wouldn't mind getting to know him better. Being held by him, hearing his voice like that, well it was bound to give her imagination some fuel.

"I need your help," he was saying while her mind reeled at his closeness.

"Um, how can I help?" she asked, looking up at him. He didn't have his usual arrogant poise. There were lines of stain around his eyes and mouth, and he seemed frenzied, almost disheveled. Without thinking she reached up and put a hand on his shoulder. His expression softened slightly.

"What can I do?" she asked sincerely.

He took a deep breath. That should have been a clue that she wasn't going to like what he had to say.

"I need your permission to take Toby to the Underground with me."

Her mouth dropped open in shock. Jareth kept speaking, mistaking her silence for refusal.

"You can come with him, and it's only for a day or two. I swear I will return the both of you here, without trying to trap or trick you. Please Sarah, I can't stay here, and it's something that only Toby's presence can help."

"What's going on?" she asked, finding her voice again. Alarms were going off in her head about the situation, but she wasn't running away. Jareth had been there for both her and Toby, and now he was asking something of her.

He gritted his teeth, unmistakable rage flashing across his face. "Some of the authorities in my world _object_ to my involvement with Toby. They seek to stop me from being with him."

Indignation filled Sarah. Was that it? "They can't say that, it's obvious you're his father!" she exclaimed. He grinned briefly at her, before a shudder took him and he doubled up in pain.

"Jareth!"

"I'm okay," he gasped. "I need your answer. I told you I can't stay long. I'm not supposed to be here."

She didn't fully understand what was going on, but she knew someone was hurting her friend, and trying to keep him away from his son. She wouldn't stand for it! It was winter break, so she was out of school and work right now, and so was Toby.

"Let me pack and you can take us," she said quickly.

"No need, I'll provide everything." His face had an unhealthy pallor, and she was getting frightened for him.

"Then just let me write a note saying I've taken Toby camping for a few days." She fumbled with the pad of paper and pen next to the phone, and then tacked her note to the fridge with a magnet.

"Okay, let's go," she said.

He held out his hand. She took it, and surprisingly he pulled her flush against his side. Before she could attribute it to a desire to be close to her, he put his arm around her shoulders and leaned heavily on her as if he couldn't stand on his own. She felt him trembling.

"What's wrong?" she whispered fearfully. He didn't answer, transporting them to Toby's room. He seized the sleeping child under one arm, eliciting a startled yelp, and then they moved again. When he teleported them to somewhere else Aboveground, she never felt it. When he took them Underground, it was like being dragged through warm, thick fluid. It pressed in on her from every side. She couldn't breathe, and only the feeling of Jareth holding her kept her from panicking. Just as her lungs began to burn, suddenly it was over. She drew in a deep breath of air.

It was dry and musty, speaking of age, and _magic_. The very air around them seemed to have weight and consequence. She hadn't felt this way since she left the Labyrinth years ago. They were in the Underground. She didn't have time to look around and wonder where they were. She turned to Jareth in concern.

"Are you alright?" she asked urgently.

Whatever had affected him Aboveground seemed to have passed. He regained his normal color, and no longer leaned on her. His arm was still around her shoulders, and he gave her a little squeeze.

"Perfect, now that I'm back," he assured her. He gently set a drowsy Toby, still rubbing his eyes, down at his feet. He didn't let go of her. She didn't know whether it was unconscious or deliberate, but she didn't draw attention to it in case he let her go. In the next moment she heard the shrill cry of a baby, and another man—_another Fae_—entered the room holding a squirming bundle.

"How is she?" Jareth asked quickly, releasing her as he stepped forward to take the baby from the stranger.

"She started crying the moment you left, and I couldn't get her to calm down," the man replied.

"Of course," Jareth said, deftly comforting the baby in his arms. "She's in my care, and she's going to feel it until her time is up." Within minutes the crying turned to whimpering, which soon stopped altogether as Jareth produced a bottle and began to nurse the infant.

The stranger looked between Toby and Sarah for a moment, before settling on her. He didn't look surprised to see them, but she felt she was being silently judged. She blushed as she realized she was still in her pajamas, her hair unbrushed. She really hadn't stopped to think at all once Jareth said he needed them. She edged closer to Toby, just in case this was one of the authorities that objected to her brother.

"Am I being replaced?" Toby asked suddenly. He had woken enough to take stock of his surroundings. He seemed to expect being in the Underground, but seeing his father holding another baby was a strange experience for him. Jareth turned toward him quickly.

"Of course not!" he said. "You could never be replaced! I'm just watching this little girl for a while. She's going to go to another family in a few hours."

Sarah felt a swoop in her stomach as she realized the baby girl had been wished away. Jareth had explained that he was responsible for placing wished-away children into homes, like an adoption agency, but she still wondered about the families in her world who no longer had a child. What would her life have been like if she didn't get Toby back?

"Oh, okay then," Toby said, mollified that he was still first in his father's affections.

"Would you like to see her?" Jareth asked. The baby finished nursing, and he burped her gently. Toby nodded. Jareth knelt and Toby ran over to see the baby. Sarah followed, more to protect her brother than to see the baby.

"She's all scrunchy," Toby said in surprise. Sarah peered quickly into the bundle to see a very young baby, less than a month old.

"That's the way they are when they're born," Jareth explained, while the stranger chuckled.

"I was never like that, was I?"

"Yes you were, I remember," Sarah said.

Toby looked up at his father. "Was I?"

Jareth didn't answer. She felt a sudden pang for him. She accepted Jareth as Toby's second father, but sometimes she forgot that he hadn't been there from the first moment her brother was born.

"Was I, Daddy?" Toby insisted.

Jareth smiled wanly. "I imagine you were."

Toby crinkled his face. "Yuck!"

The stranger laughed again.

"Would you like to hold her, Sarah?" Jareth asked suddenly, standing and offering the tiny bundle to her.

"What? No!" she stumbled back in alarm. Jareth turned away from her, but not before she saw a hurt look on his face. She immediately felt bad. She knew he believed he was doing the right thing in adopting out the wished-away children, but seeing it in person made her feel weird. The stranger was watching her again.

Jareth cleared his throat as if nothing had happened. "Toby, there's someone here I'd like you to meet. This is Neiven, a close friend of mine. Neiven, meet my son." There was unmistakable pride in his voice as he introduced them. Neiven broke into a smile and crouched down to Toby's level.

"Hello, Toby. Your dad has told me about you. You can call me Uncle Neiven."

Once more Sarah felt her stomach flip. Why had it never occurred to her that Jareth would have friends, even family, in the Underground?

"And this is Sarah," Jareth introduced her. "Toby's sister and his care-giver."

"Hi," she said awkwardly, aware of her messy state.

There was a distinct coolness as Neiven nodded to her. She flushed uncomfortably. There was a tense pause.

"If you'll excuse us, Neiven, I'm going to show Sarah and Toby to their rooms," Jareth said. He collected the humans with a glance, and led them from the room. She felt Neiven's eyes on her for a long time. She had a feeling she had made a less than stellar first impression. Once they rounded the corner, Jareth stopped and turned toward her.

"Jareth, about earlier, I'm sorry," she began quickly. "I didn't mean to be rude or anything when I didn't want to hold the baby."

He studied her for a moment. "But you're not okay with it."

She tried to protest, but it died in her throat. She shook her head mutely. He looked resigned. "Then this might be difficult for you," he sighed. "I didn't stop because of that, though. I want to apologize for not giving you time to prepare yourself."

He held out a hand to her, and suddenly there was a long claret robe hanging from his fingers. She blushed scarlet as she realized he had noticed her lack of dress. She pulled on the robe. It was thick, and fell all the way to her feet. Once it was wrapped around her, it looked less like a robe than a medieval dress. It made her feel at least somewhat more covered than before.

He continued their journey without another word. The baby made small noises as they walked. Jareth responded to her so naturally, that Sarah felt fresh guilt over her actions. This wasn't even a child he was going to adopt, like Toby, and yet he was absolutely tender in taking care of her. She was torn between loyalty to the original family of the baby, and the man before her.

He stopped in front of a wooden door. "This will be your room, Toby, and next door is Sarah's room. There's a connecting door between them, and Sarah's room has a bathroom. I thought you'd like to be close. I'll leave you two to get dressed, and I'll send a goblin when breakfast is ready. If you need anything, just tell me or one of the castle staff."

He started to turn away. She couldn't let him leave like that. Things felt too unsettled between them. She reached out and took his arm, careful not to touch the baby's blankets. He stopped, but didn't look at her. He watched the sleeping baby instead.

"Thank you," she said earnestly. A faint smile touched his lips, and then he left.

Inside the room, Toby was enthusiastically jumping on his bed with half a dozen goblins. A reprimand jumped immediately to mind, but she didn't let it out. Instead, she huffed a laugh, and then joined in.

* * *

Jareth

Neiven found him as he left his guests in their rooms.

"You are a fool, Jareth," he said without preamble.

Jareth stiffened. "Excuse me?" he said coldly.

His friend hastily clarified, "Your son is charming, I'm glad to meet him, but why did you bring the girl?"

"She wouldn't let Toby come without her."

"Did you ask? Or did you just say, 'I need help,' and she agreed to come?"

Jareth was silent. Neiven was far too astute this time. He _could_ have asked if he could have Toby to himself for this time, but in truth he'd wanted Sarah there as well.

"You like her," Neiven accused.

"Perhaps," Jareth admitted reluctantly.

"But you haven't begun courting her yet, with good reason. Maybe it was best that you brought her along as well. She doesn't belong in this world, you can see it."

Again, Jareth had no answer. It unexpectedly stung when she refused to hold the child in his arms. This was his duty to his people. Knowing how much the Fae depended on the children he brought them, he considered it a sacred privilege. But Sarah was too human. She still saw him as a child-thief. Was it thievery when this innocent baby girl had come to him half-starved and near death, neglected by a mother that had needle tracks in her arms and an endless string of partners? Without him, what kind of life would she have had? Would she have even survived?

In the meanwhile, he had already picked out the family that would raise her here, and knew them to be a stable, loving couple. They were not royalty, but there was no such thing as poverty in the Underground. She would be raised with wonder and love, and never miss a meal. Her life would be many times longer than even the oldest human Aboveground, extended by the rich magic around her, and she would be greatly sought as a partner, for she would be able to have children.

"She doesn't understand you, or what you do," Neiven said gently, echoing his thoughts. "You need someone who will support you, not merely tolerate what you do. Tolerance turns to resentment too easily, and I don't want to see you heart-broken, my friend."

"I know," he said heavily. He shook his head to clear it, and then asked, "What is going to happen at the High Council this afternoon?"

"Well, you'll be called before them, and they'll lay the charges of unlawful detainment against you. _Make sure you keep your temper_. Any outbursts on your part will only confirm that you have something to hide. During your defense, explain your heartbond with your son, and call him next to you. They'll test the both of you—"

"Test how?" Jareth asked sharply. He would _not_ allow his son to be subjected to some painful test to prove the veracity of his claim.

"Relax, all you have to do is stand next to your son, and anyone with the least bit sensitivity is going to feel your heartbond with him. Neither of you will feel a thing. After that, they will speak among themselves, and lay out their decision. That could take days."

"I bet you they'll make a statement before seven tonight," Jareth said grimly.

"How is that?"

"You think their timing is coincidental?" he indicated the sleeping baby in his arms. "They chose to act _now_, because I'm trapped in the Labyrinth until her time is up. They were trying to cut me off from the Aboveground."

"But you still went," Neiven pointed out.

Jareth paused, then sucked in a breath slowly. "I don't mind telling you, it was very difficult. I was in considerable pain from the first moment I tried to leave. You said yourself the babe was inconsolable while I was gone."

Neiven nodded. "The fact that you were able to go is going to incense the Council. They were choosing this time as a safety for them."

His face darkened. "If they try to rule against my son, no place will be safe for them."

Neiven sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "See now, those are the kinds of things you _can't_ say to them while you're defending yourself. It's like waving a pitchfork at a dragon. You just don't incite them like that, and not expect them to retaliate."

"Very well, I will attempt to behave myself."

"So… at seven tonight her thirteen hours are up?" Neiven looked curiously at the baby.

"Yes, and then she'll be going to her forever home with the Mallows."

"You're giving her to the Mallows? They've been trying to have children for a century."

"And now they'll have one. I would appreciate if this did not become common knowledge. I am not in the habit of announcing my decisions beforehand."

"Of course," Neiven paused, and then asked delicately, "The… runner? How far have they gotten?"

Jareth shook his head. "There is no runner." He felt a flare of anger at the woman that had wished her baby away. The _only_ good thing she had done was give him the child.

Neiven stared at him. "What? Then why do you have to wait?"

"I'm required to wait thirteen hours, in case the runner decides to try to get the baby back. But she won't try. She was too intoxicated to stand. The baby was crying, and wishing her away was easier than strangling her."

"She wouldn't!" Neiven pressed a hand to his mouth like he was going to be sick.

Jareth scowled darkly. "If she had the strength and coordination, she would have. I was glad to take the child, and if she tries to enter the Labyrinth, I will crucify her."

Neiven was shocked. "I guess there's more to being the Goblin King than I realized," he said at last.

Jareth smirked. "There always is."


	10. Year 6 Part 3

**A/N: Many thanks for your reviews! I enjoy hearing your thoughts and speculations over what's going to happen next! Sorry about the late post today. I had an early morning work meeting that I barely managed to roll out of bed for. Yeah, I work nights. Me and sunshine tend to be non-mixy. Not to mention the entire pale-skin-that-turns-red-if-I-even-think-about-the-sun thing. Anyway, enough about me! Not a whole lot of plot happening in the section, but we do get to learn more about the wished-aways!**

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Year 6 Part 3

Sarah

Sarah and Toby explored their rooms thoroughly. Toby's was decorated in blues and golds. There were fantastical tapestries and paintings on the walls, and shelves full of old fashioned toys and unique Underground storybooks. There were also things like a weapon and armor rack, already holding Toby's sword and bow, and a wardrobe of clothes in his size. A window set into the wall revealed an awe-inspiring view of the constantly shifting Labyrinth that Toby found fascinating. He thought his room was amazing. Sarah felt something strange in her heart as she watched her brother excitedly running around the room. This was a room designed for a prince. He could have been a prince if she hadn't brought him back. All the goblins treated him warmly, calling him "King's son!" and "Prince Toby!" She uneasily wondered the cost of her "saving" her brother from the clutches of the Goblin King. Would he have been happier living here as a prince, than as an average kid Aboveground?

She shook off her discomfort as she stepped into her own room through the connecting door. Her room was decorated in cream and violent. Instead of toys there were shelves full of books, and a vanity with a variety of products she was hesitant to try. She too had a window, but though it was set in the same wall as Toby's, it had a completely different view. Instead of looking over the Labyrinth, it showed an extensive flower garden instead. Toby's eyes widened, and he ran back and forth between the windows, trying to figure out how each showed a different view, though they were so close together.

She found his antics amusing, even as she wondered if the different views meant the rooms were not as close together as they appeared. She didn't want to say she was _suspicious_ of Jareth, but she was uncertain about his motives. She knew he wasn't as evil as her run in the Labyrinth suggested, but she didn't like how he still took children from their families. It occurred to her that he might have called them down here to lure Toby to his side forever. She still had to give permission for her brother to remain, and Jareth had promised no tricks or traps, but she felt unsettled.

The difference between her room and Toby's was obvious. Both were luxuriously furnished, but where Toby's looked like it had been waiting for him forever, Sarah's was bland, more like a hotel room than a room someone might actually live in. She didn't know if it was a sign that Jareth hadn't planned for her to come, and the room was an afterthought, or if he simply didn't know her well enough to personalize a room for her like he had for Toby.

She had been prepared to come to the Underground and defend Jareth's right to call Toby his son. She had not been expecting to confront his child-stealing exploits, or that he would want to draw her into them. She shook off her malaise and pretended to be excited for Toby's sake, but inside, she was off-balance and already slightly homesick.

She managed to pin Toby down and get him changed out of his pajamas. The wardrobe in his room was full of clothes in fine fabrics obviously fit for royalty. Everything was exactly Toby's size or slightly larger, to account for his rapid growing. Despite her doubts about Jareth's fashion sense, nothing looked too outlandish. Mostly it was a bunch of things she'd expect to see out of a history book.

Once her brother was dressed, she returned to her room with trepidation to find attire for herself. She really just wanted a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, but somehow didn't think that would be available here. Sure enough, when she opened her wardrobe, it was filled with long, jewel-toned dresses. She had to admit the dresses were very beautiful, ranging from simple, clean folds, to lavish ball gowns that reminded her of a certain dream she once had. When she was younger, she would have loved to play dress up. Now she just tried to find something not too complicated for her to put on by herself.

She settled on a blue velvet dress that draped her frame nicely. It had a little silver trim at the hems and a silver braid around her waist, but otherwise was fairly simple. She found a hair brush on the vanity, and put her hair into some semblance of control. She tempted briefly by the unknown items on the vanity, but in the end decided against them. She was not trying to dress up for the Goblin King. There was no one to impress here.

She invited Toby back into her room. He wanted to jump on her bed, since it was bigger than the one in his room. She barely managed to persuade him against it when there was a knock on her door. Before she could stop him, Toby ran to the door and flung it open. A goblin stood there, a female by her dress. She bowed comically low.

"King's son, Lady Sarah," the goblin said, "Breakfast is ready, if you are."

"Awesome, I'm hungry!" he shouted. The goblin giggled, and led the way down the hall. Sarah followed behind them. Toby looked around at everything, asking a dozen questions in every breath. The goblin answered some of them, but more often he was too excited to leave time for her to respond. He didn't even go quiet when they rounded the corner and saw Jareth and Neiven waiting for them outside a door.

"Daddy!" Toby sprinted ahead.

Jareth laughed as his son bowled into him. He swayed in place, but didn't take a step at the force of the boy hugging him. He returned the hug one-handed, his other arm holding the baby girl still. Sarah shuddered slightly. Wasn't there a nursery where he could have left the baby?

Neiven watched her, and his eyes narrowed as if he'd guessed her thoughts. She raised her chin and refused to be intimidated. _He_ might be Fae and used to the Goblin King stealing children, but she was human, and this was one aspect of Jareth's kingdom she couldn't agree with.

Jareth and Toby finished catching up, which most consisted of Toby listing everything he loved about his room—which was everything—and Jareth trying to get a word in edgewise to make sure it was all to his liking. He finally looked up at Sarah. She felt self-conscious in the dress, as though she was caught in someone else's clothes. Jareth glanced at her, and then took a second, longer look. It was subtle, but someone who knew him well would have realized that he just did a double-take. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

His pupils widened slightly, making his bi-colored eyes look darker. "Sarah," he greeted her. His voice was neutral, but his eyes smiled at her. "You look good."

He came forward, caught her hand and pressed a kiss to the top of her knuckles. She blushed, and suddenly wished she had taken time to explore the cosmetics a little. Then again, if Jareth already thought she looked good, then maybe it was best she had left them off. Neiven was frowning again, but this time it was at Jareth. The Goblin King pretended to ignore him.

"Shall we go in to breakfast?" he asked lightly, and opened the door to the dining room.

It was larger than Sarah was used to, but not so large as she feared. It held a single long table that could have easily held a dozen people. The room itself was big enough for three or four tables, so the lone table looked almost dwarfed by the room. One end of the table was set. Jareth sat at the head with Neiven on one hand, and Toby on the other. Sarah sat next to her brother. The table had a selection of surprisingly familiar foods. There was a bowl heaped high with fluffy eggs, as well as bowls of sausage, bacon, and toast. There were platters of French toast, pancakes, fresh fruit, and even bagels. Carafes of milk, orange juice and water beaded with condensation. Butter and cream cheese had their own plates. Everything was laid out on delicate crystal dishes, surrounded by bright silver utensils. It looked like something from a fancy buffet. It reminded Sarah that Jareth was, after all, a king. He could afford such a vast, scrumptious spread.

Toby helped himself to some of everything. Sarah contented herself to a bit of toast and butter. She was feeling strangely nervous about being here. She didn't know what to expect, and between the child in Jareth's arms and Neiven's disapproving look, she felt she didn't belong here. Was it a mistake to come? She'd had no other thought but to help Jareth when he asked, but the situation was more complicated than she could have guessed.

Neiven was eating an English muffin with jam, while Jareth had a bagel with cream cheese and lox. However, the Goblin King was doing everything with one hand, since he refused to put the baby girl down. Even his struggles were elegant, as if this was the most natural thing in the world to him. If they were at home, and Jareth was one handed because he was holding Toby, Sarah would not have hesitated to help him. Now she remained quiet, watching without knowing what to do. It was as though Toby's second father had become a stranger to her.

"I can hold her, if you like," Neiven suddenly offered. Sarah glanced at him, and jumped at his pointed—and unhappy—look at her.

"No, I have her," Jareth immediately assured his friend, tucking the baby closer to his side.

"I _am_ a father, I do know how to hold babies," Neiven said dryly. "You left me with her before."

"But I had no choice, if I was to fetch Sarah and my son." Jareth's voice was sharp enough to draw everyone's attention.

Neiven's head rocked back, a look of hurt crossing his face. It made Sarah like him a tiny bit better.

Jareth sighed, and rubbed his forehead with his free hand. "I apologize," he said. "I did not mean to doubt your ability, or imply that I did not trust you. When one of the wished-aways needs help or healing, I have found it is best to hold them as close to me as possible."

Sarah was confused, but Neiven nodded in understanding. "Your presence heals them?" he asked.

"It is one of the powers granted to me when I have a wished away child. I make sure they are in good health before going to their new families." Jareth spoke stiffly, and he didn't look at her. He was trying to avoid the subject for her sake, but she was intrigued despite her conflicted feelings on it. She felt a twist in her stomach when he talked about healing the children. Somehow, she knew it meant more than any simple childhood scrapes or the sniffles.

"Did the girl need healing?" she asked without meaning to. Brief silence fell on the table, broken only by the sound of Toby eating as he deemed the conversation uninteresting. Jareth still didn't look at her, but Neiven was watching her keenly. For the first time she didn't see outright disapproval in his eyes.

"She was… somewhat undernourished," Jareth hedged. He cradled the girl closer to him, an unconsciously protective gesture. Even more than when he was with Toby, she saw what a good father he was. He was just good with children. If only she could find a human man with half of the Goblin King's ability. Preferably one that didn't go around kidnapping said children…

Neiven snorted. "Mostly starved to death, don't you mean?"

Sarah gasped. Neiven gave her a curt nod. Jareth didn't answer until she prompted softly. "Jareth?"

"Something like that," he muttered through clenched teeth. He glared hotly at his friend, but Neiven was not done yet.

"What was the worst one you ever had?"

"This is hardly an appropriate subject," Jareth growled.

"Why not?" Neiven demanded. "Don't you think she should know what her own kind does to their children?" He gestured to Sarah, making her jump. "She blames you for taking the wished-aways, but how many of them would have died if you weren't there?"

"If you cannot keep a civil tongue, I must ask you to leave," Jareth snapped. Neiven appealed directly to Sarah.

"Ask him," he said, meeting her eyes. This was a morbid conversation, but curiosity got the better of her. She turned to Jareth, who was resolutely staring at the baby girl. He'd not looked at her since they sat down for breakfast. What was more important, holding a grudge against the Goblin King for taking human children, or finding out the truth and helping the man she knew was honest and kind?

"Jareth?" she asked. He didn't move. She was tired of him not looking at her. She stood and moved around Toby's chair. She reached out, hesitated, then placed her hand resolutely on his shoulder. He flinched from the contact, and she felt awful about it.

"Please look at me?" she pleaded. He raised his head slowly. His expression was raw, his mismatched eyes full of pain and fear. She hated that she made him look like that, but recognized that he was exposed to her. Whatever he said would be absolute truth, no matter how much it hurt, or how harsh it sounded. She didn't know when she had earned such absolute truth from this noble man, but it honored and shamed her at the same time. She began to understand why the other Fae was so antagonistic to her; she didn't deserve Jareth.

"How many would have died if you didn't take them?" she echoed Neiven's question. She saw the shadow of old memories flash in Jareth's eyes, and a hint of the rage he'd felt at such abuse to the children.

"I can think of… at least three that required my direct intervention to live," he admitted reluctantly. "There are probably several dozen that, if not in immediate danger, probably would not have survived much longer in their current conditions."

She was stunned. Her hand fell away from his shoulder as she staggered back. "So many?" she whispered in horror. He caught her hand and anchored her to this world with his warm touch.

"Not all are bad," he assured her. "Toby was in perfect health when he came to me. Many of them are like that."

His words were reassuring, but somehow she felt he was merely trying to lessen her shock. He was glossing over the horrors he must have seen for her sake. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Neiven rolling his hand to tell her to continue. She took a deep breath and braced herself. She gripped Jareth's hand tightly, grateful for his support.

"What was the worst one you ever had?"

"No," he responded gently. "I will not talk of it while my son can hear us. Nor do I believe it is something you truly want to hear. I will say, though, that I spent many hours resting in bed with that one, more than the thirteen I am required to keep them. Skin to skin contact is best for that, so I did whatever I could to keep that one alive. I almost lost the child. It is another power of mine to erase memories of the previous family. Most children are too young to need it, or their early memories are not too unpleasant. But that one I did not want any chance that they might remember what had happened, even in nightmares. By the time I was done, the family received a happy, healthy child that does not remember anything but the family they are with now."

She could see how bad it had been in his eyes. She shivered, and could picture it clearly: Jareth lying in bed with his shirt open, a limp child sprawled over his chest. She imagined him humming to the little one, pleading with them to live. What kind of monsters would do that to a child? Furthermore, she knew that practically every week was a different story on the news about some horrific abuse inflicted on children.

How many of those could have been saved by Jareth, but weren't because no one wished them away? For that matter, what kind of person _would_ wish away a child? Sarah had been tired and spoiled, and yes, jealous of the new baby. But the others, the ones Neiven wanted her to know about, as awful as it was to wish someone away, it was better than abuse and death. Even Neiven was stunned by this news.

"Who is it?" the other Fae asked in a hoarse voice. "I know almost all of the children you've placed into homes…"

Jareth shook his head sharply. "No. I do not want even a shadow of what happened to touch this child, even in the knowledge of strangers. I will preserve their anonymity always."

Sarah smiled faintly. "You didn't even say if it was a boy or girl, or how old they were," she said. He gave a sly smirk.

"I did not," he confirmed. Neiven chuckled as well. Jareth's smile slowly faded as he watched her. She became away that they still held hands, and there was a question in his eyes. He was holding the baby against his chest, and now it didn't seem like such a big thing. She could understand why he could not abandon them to a nursery and the indifferent care of a nanny. After witnessing such horror, the children deserved to be loved, maybe for the first time in their lives.

And he did love them. Toby was his only semi-official son, but she bet he remembered the name of every child that had been wished away, and hand-selected the families that adopted them. She looked down at the baby girl, so innocent in the Goblin King's arms. She reached with her free hand and gently touched the faint wisps of baby hair, so fine they were almost invisible.

"I think she's in good hands," Sarah admitted quietly. Jareth let out a breath, squeezing her hand hard. This was so important to him, she was ashamed she had withheld her approval.


	11. Year 6 Part 4

**A/N: Thanks for your reviews! Just to let you know, I'm going out of town this week for Comic Con, so there will be no update on Thursday. A week from today will be the next update. You might want to kill me for that... Now, you asked for some chemistry between Jareth and Sarah? Read on!**

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Year 6 Part 4

Sarah

After breakfast, Jareth took them on a tour of the castle and grounds. Her previous memories of this place were of a grungy, cramped place. The castle she saw now was anything but. There was a certain amount of disorganization, but she figured that was to be expected in a castle tended by goblins. However, the overall impression was of a stout, proud building, homely and unapologetic. She could almost feel the age around her; she couldn't imagine how many generations of goblins had lived here. Her eyes turned toward Jareth. And how many generations of Goblin Kings had grown up here as well?

He was more at ease here than when he was Aboveground. He didn't strut and proclaim his ownership; he didn't have to. It was as if every stick and stone recognized and welcomed him. The baby on his arm looked natural too, as was the way he proudly introduced Toby to everyone that walked by. The goblins and other servants didn't flinch from him. There was pure adoration in everyone that he singled out. He was more than a good father, she realized. He was a good king over his people, a good steward over his land. Once more she doubted her choice to bring Toby back to her world. He would have been well cared for here. He would have grown up as a child of privilege and power. What had she done by taking him from that? What if Jareth really was the better choice of parent?

The thought of not having Toby sent pain through her heart. Selfishly, she knew she couldn't let him go. But maybe she could relax her rules against where Jareth was allowed to take Toby. Visits to the Underground no longer seemed too dangerous or too distant. They left the palace and walked through the edge of several gardens. To tour a single one would be an all-day adventure, and there were too many to see all of them at once.

At one point Jareth took them into a hedge-maze. She got a little nervous considering her first experience in any sort of maze, but Neiven scoffed when she hesitated. She plunged into the maze, holding her head up high. Her concession to safety was to remain close to Jareth, and keep an eye on Toby at all times. Then she laughed at herself. With Toby around, Jareth was hardly going to get them lost in the Labyrinth. Still, it was pleasant to walk beside the Goblin King. Her arm brushed his on occasion. He shifted the baby and offered his arm to her. She took it with a quiet thrill of pleasure. She felt like she was in one of those regency movies, taking a turn around the park.

Jareth paused before the last corner, and smiled shyly at her. "I think you'll like this," he murmured, and walked on.

They emerged into a huge grassy field, surely too large to fit in the center of the maze. She saw at once what Jareth was talking about. Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus stood awkwardly in the field. She hadn't counted on seeing them while she was here, but was glad Jareth had thought of it for her.

"Thank you," she said quietly, squeezing his arm. She took Toby to meet her friends. Once they understood that she hadn't been tricked or forced into the Underground, they relaxed. Soon all of them were caught up in a highly evolved game of chase that Toby invented. She opted out after a few minutes, choosing to sit in the shade by Jareth and Neiven.

"Come play with us, Daddy!" Toby called.

"Maybe later," Jareth responded, settling the baby more comfortably against him.

"I could take her," Sarah suddenly offered. Jareth and Neiven stared at her.

"Are you sure?" Jareth asked solemnly. It felt like he was asking about more than simply holding the baby. Sarah swallowed hard, feeling her stomach swoop, half nerves, half excitement. Was she ready for this? She nodded. Jareth shifted and gently transferred the girl into her arms. Sarah's heart did a strange dance. This was the man she was beginning to really like, placing a baby in her arms. She had a flash of a woman lying in a hospital after giving birth, and the first time the new father laid the baby in the mother's arms. This wasn't nearly so significant. Was it?

Jareth hovered for a minute. She sensed it was not out of concern for the baby, but maybe because he felt the same potential of this moment that she did. He leaned down and kissed the child on her forehead. His hand squeezed Sarah's shoulder, and for an instant she thought he was going to kiss her too. He didn't. In the next second he was up and running lithely after his son, while Sarah gasped for breath and tried to calm her pounding heart. She had known that Jareth was a good father to Toby for a while, but this was the first time she experienced what it would be like to be a co-parent with Jareth. It was not at all an unpleasant thought.

"What are you doing?" Neiven asked quietly.

She looked over at him. He was scowling at her.

"I'm holding the baby so Jareth can go play," she replied.

"But what are you doing to _him_?" Neiven insisted. "Why are you playing with him like this?"

"I'm not playing with him," she insisted in surprise.

"Aren't you? Are you sure you can take on the responsibility that goes with being his mate?"

She spluttered. "Now, wait a minute—"

"No, because if I wait it will be too late, and you will break him!"

"I'm not going to break him— I don't even know what you're talking about!"

"Don't you? Do you know that our kind only loves once? If you make him fall in love with you, and you leave him because you are mortal, and your heart is fickle, it will destroy him. He is the most precious of us. Without him, we are all doomed."

"I'm not playing with him," she repeated faintly. "And I'm not trying to make him fall in love with me." No, but she had begun to wonder what it would be like, hadn't she? Didn't she remember her peach dream during her time in the Labyrinth and wonder what would have happened if she stayed? And she no longer dated other men, because they held no interest for her. None of them could compare to the Goblin King. It wasn't about his power, his position of importance. It was because he was kind, because he loved Toby, because he made her feel special. Was that love? If so, she was well on her way to being in love with Jareth.

She drew strength from her revelation, and looked Neiven squarely in the eye. "Whatever is between Jareth and I, that is our business. We will deal with it together, and whatever the outcome, that is the choice that we make. I know you're worried for him, but I have no desire to see him hurt either."

Neiven's face turned desperate. "Then let him go," he pleaded. "You have no idea of the harm you can do here. The only sure way to avoid disaster is to release him. Tell him you are not interested. Tell him you think of him only as a friend. But make it clear that you will never be his mate."

She paled. Her heart clenched in agony over giving up Jareth. That was when she realized she was already in too deep.

"I can't," she whispered.

"Then you would kill us all with your selfishness!" Neiven spat.

She winced. The baby girl fussed. There were tears in Sarah's eyes as she comforted the child. She didn't have Jareth's natural talent, but the infant subsided back into sleep. A few minutes later Jareth came back to them. He might not have heard their conversation, but he looked between Neiven's stony face and Sarah's pale one, and knew there had been a disagreement.

He deliberately sat down between them, closer Sarah than to his friend. His side pressed against her. He was breathing harder than usual, and was damp with sweat. When jocks in college did that to her, she found it disgusting. On Jareth, it was appealingly masculine.

"Do you want me to take her?" he asked about the baby.

"No, I'm good with her," she replied in surprise. It was easy to be comfortable with the infant girl, and with Jareth as well.

"Then I'll hold both of you," he said putting his arms around her and kissing her temple. She blushed, but she didn't mind. Neiven glared at her. Jareth stiffened and narrowed his eyes at the other Fae. She felt bad about causing a division between the friends. Before she could say something to convince them not to argue over her, Toby came and sprawled across both hers and Jareth's legs, giggling breathlessly. Sarah felt something snap into place in her heart. Here she was, touching the people that mattered the most to her. She felt like she had come home. Being in Jareth's arms, having Toby nearby, holding a baby in her arms—everything belonged in a way that was so profound it made tears spring to her eyes.

"I like it here," Toby said. "I wish we could stay here forever!"

Sarah choked. Just because she had been thinking of how wonderful it felt here didn't mean she was ready to move in. And Toby had made a wish in front of a man who had an uncomfortable habit of granting inconvenient wishes! Jareth chuckled deeply.

"I suggest talking to your sister before making any more wishes," he said. "She might have something to say about that."

She relaxed as it looked like Jareth wasn't taking Toby seriously. Since Jareth was on his best behavior, she could be too.

"I'm afraid not, Toby," she said, "But we can start visiting when this is over."

"Yay!" Toby cheered in excitement.

She could feel Jareth watching her.

"Do you really mean that?" he asked quietly.

She glanced up at him. His face was softer than she had seen it while looking at her. It told her she was making the right choice.

"Yeah, I'd like to come back," she admitted. "I like it here. And Toby should know this side of his inheritance too."

He hugged her tightly, making her heart thrill.

They remained for a time, until a goblin came up to them.

"Your Majesty!" he piped up. "The Council has convened, and they are waiting on you."

She actually felt a hot rush of energy course through Jareth. Before she could ask what it meant, Neiven grabbed his arm.

"Control," he warned in a tone of voice that said he'd cautioned Jareth on this before. The other Fae glanced at her reluctantly.

"Maybe you should give the baby back. She'll help him keep his temper," Neiven suggested.

Jareth snorted, but willingly took back the baby girl. He smiled fondly at the infant, his body relaxing. Neiven was right; Jareth would do nothing to injure the child in his arms. He took a deep breath, and conjured a crystal. His clothes changed as he rolled the crystal in his hand, becoming more formal. He did the same thing to Toby's clothes.

Sarah gulped and asked, "Do I need to change as well?"

Jareth shook his head. "You're perfect the way you are," he assured her.

"Jareth, I have to go," Neiven said. "Good luck—and be careful."

Jareth gave a lopsided grin. "I think it's too late to be careful, don't you think?"

Neiven shook his head. He stole one last glance at Sarah. For once he wasn't overtly hostile. There was a warning in his eyes though, one that was easy to interpret. If she wasn't going to let Jareth go, then the least she could do was support him. She nodded to Neiven. That she could do.

Jareth took one of Toby's hands, and she took the other. Her brother was looking nervous suddenly, but with his two protectors on either side, he gained confidence.

"You need to be touching me, Sarah," Jareth murmured. She moved to slip her hand into the elbow that already held the baby, completing the circle. Once again she felt a _zap_ of rightness.

This time the teleportation was quick and effortless. Their surroundings blurred like a water painting, and when the colors firmed again, they were someplace new. The council chamber was about how she had expected it. It was a sizable, round room paneled in dark wood. On closer look, the wooden walls were actually the huge trunks of old trees that grew in a circle. There was scarcely a finger width of space between one trunk and the another. The trunks had been smoothed down and lightly carved with murals she couldn't make out. There was no ceiling but for the natural boughs of the tree, hundreds of feet above them. It would have been very beautiful, but for the rather foreboding air in the room.

There were tall, curved tables set around the perimeter of the room, and behind those tables sat thirteen Fae dressed in grand robes that made her feel like a child playing dress up. She shivered and wanted to press closer to Jareth. There was something unnerving about the stern faces looking down at her. All of them had the eternally young faces of Fae, but there was something… brittle behind their eyes. Jareth looked young too, even though he was surely far older than she guessed. He was filled with a kind of robust health that made him _feel_ young. These Fae lords looked young, but _felt_ old.

She felt waves of power rolling off them. She didn't know if this was a new sensitivity from being in the Underworld, or something she picked up from hanging with Jareth, but it was a silent crackle in the air that made the hairs on her arm stand on end. These people could break her with a thought. And they would do it with as little guilt as she would crush an ant.

Beside her, Jareth took a deep breath and looked around. His own power flared to life. It was suddenly familiar, almost comforting—and at least as strong as any of the lords glaring at them. Sarah began to feel better. She squeezed his arm in thanks. They could get through this, with the Goblin King on their side. His show of power subsided slightly.

"Sarah," he murmured in a low voice, "Take Toby and sit over there." He nodded to a small area with a few rows of chairs. It reminded her of the observation area of a courtroom. "Make sure you don't speak, and keep Toby from speaking, unless you are called on," he added.

She nodded in reply. It felt dangerous to use her voice or call attention to herself in this place. She stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek, giving his arm one last squeeze before taking Toby to the chairs. She could feel Jareth watching her the entire way.

Once they were seated, she looked around and was surprised to see Neiven sitting in a smaller desk behind the others. He had a few books and scrolls around him, and was poised to write with a quill. What was he, a court reporter? He gave her a politely disinterested nod, as if they'd never met. She looking away quickly so she wouldn't give away the deception. She had a feeling that humans were at a distinct disadvantage in this room. Even with Jareth on their side, could he really take on thirteen others at a time? Neiven might decide to throw in with Jareth, but given his feelings toward her, he might let her be taken without a word. She was growing more nervous by the minute.

One of the Fae lords stirred.

"King Jareth," he said, drawing all attention to him. His voice carried a heavy weight of power, making her shiver. His face looked to be the youngest of the lords, but somehow he felt like the oldest.

"Lord Malack," Jareth responded in kind.

"We have called you here to discuss your illegal involvement in the Aboveground," Lord Malack began. "Do you deny such actions?"

"I have done nothing wrong," Jareth's voice rang out, insouciant. Out of the corner of her eye Sarah saw Neiven wince. She coughed quietly. Jareth glanced at her, and she shook her head slightly. He drew in a hard breath, then released it slowly. He shrugged his shoulders to loosen them. Some of the tension flowed out of him. She didn't know how much influence she had on him, but she would use whatever she had to help him.

Lord Malack glared at Jareth and said, "Your duties as the Goblin King occasionally bring you to the Aboveground, however you have no legal reason to spend a prolonged amount of time there. It has come to our attention that both the frequency and length of your visits have greatly increased as late. There has not been a corresponding increase of wished-aways to account for your actions. Furthermore, the majority of your time has been spent in a singular location. Enough time, I might add, that your power has begun to settle into that location. Some of it appears to be deliberate. You must understand, we find your actions to be exceedingly suspicious if your intentions are innocent. You claim you have done nothing wrong, yet what possible reason could you have to be absent from the Underworld so much?"

Sarah's heart swooped. She might not understand Underground law, but Lord Malack's accusation sounded serious. What did the other Fae mean by Jareth's power settling in her home? Jareth had risked a lot to become Toby's father. Even now, there was no shame in him. He stood straight, meeting Lord Malack's gaze without flinching. She wished she was standing next to him, though she couldn't have said if that was for his support or hers.

"My reasons are personal, and have no effect on my duties to the Underworld," Jareth sounded responded, far calmer than Sarah felt. "If there has been no increase of wished-aways, there has not been a decrease in them either. If there is a complaint against me other than these vague accusations, let me hear it."

Silence fell for a moment. One or two of the Fae lords shifted uncomfortably. There were no complaints against Jareth, she realized. It almost sounded like they had made up a trump charge to bring him to order. Perhaps they were going to get out of here without any trouble. Jareth was holding his temper surprisingly well. Neiven was looking cautiously optimistic as well. And then Lord Malack spoke again.

"You side-step our questions very well, but this is not a matter to be treated lightly. You claim that your reasons are personal, but you, Goblin King, belong to all the Underworld. You cannot take a breath but that it affects us all. We will have the answers today. A further attempt to evade will be taken as evidence that you are plotting against the Council, and we will take measures to contain you to the Underworld except for your expressly stated duties as Goblin King."

Jareth clenched his jaw angrily. Sarah was torn between outrage on his behalf and fear that they would carry out their threat. Toby would be devastated if Jareth was taken from them. _She_ would be devastated as well.

"Well, King Jareth?" Lord Malack prodded gleefully. "What is your answer?"

Sarah tensed. Jareth took several deep breaths, his power rising and falling. Tension rose in the council room. Finally, he spoke.

"I am not plotting against the Council. I have never intended to do so, nor do I plan to at any further time. I've been going to the Aboveground… to visit my son."

A loud murmur broke out among the Fae lords. Children were precious to Fae, but none of them knew about Toby.

Lord Malack had to raise his voice to be heard over everyone else. "Come to order. King Jareth, what you speak of is nonsense. It is well-known that you have no son in the eyes of the law. The records state that six years ago you attempted to adopt a human child. However, the runner beat _your own_ Labyrinth, negating any claim you might have had over the child. By law, you must wait one hundred years before attempting to adopt again. Are you saying that you defied the law, flew in the face of custom, to take another human child? You denied a family the right to have that child, in order to assuage your pride?" Lord Malack was sneering, certain he had cornered Jareth now. Sarah began to realize that Toby was just an excuse. The council, or Lord Malack, would have used any reason in an attempt to discipline the Goblin King.

"I may have defied the law," Jareth admitted, "But I never took a child meant for another family. My son is the original boy that would have been mine had the runner failed. I have worked out an agreement with the runner that I may continue to visit my son. My reasons for attending the Aboveground so often are solely to be with my son."

There was more talking among the lords. Many heads shook, and there was a general air of disapproval. Things were not looking well for Jareth. Were they really going to separate him from Toby?

Lord Malack spoke again. "The Council declares that King Jareth has no son. He has willingly violated the law in seeking further contact with the child he lost. Our verdict is that he is to be confined to the Underworld for the span of one hundred years. There is to be no contact with the Aboveground. His duties as Goblin King are suspended for the same amount of time. Maybe once he had served his sentence, he will be more willing to uphold the law."


	12. Year 6 Part 5

**A/N: I'm back! Comic Con was amazing but exhausting. Glad to be home, but missing it already. So much craziness... Anyway, can you forgive me for that cliffie? Reading your views was very fun, thanks for that! Anyway, here is the last part of year 6. You didn't really think I'd let them be separated for 100 years, did you?**

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Year 6 pt 5

Sarah

One hundred years. Sarah felt faint. She and Toby would be dead by then. They would never see Jareth again. She badly wanted to go to him, to never let him go. Wasn't there something, anything, she could do? Toby was young, but he still understood what the court was trying to do. He gave Sarah a fearful look that broke her heart. She pulled him into her lap and hugged him tightly. If only she could promise that everything would turn out fine, but she didn't see how.

"This sentence is to be carried out immediately," Lord Malack pronounced, and started to bring a gavel down on the table.

"Hold!" Jareth cried desperately. "I submit that the Council cannot separately me from my son. We share a heartbond which supersedes the laws!"

Lord Malack's face twisted in fury, but he didn't bang the gavel. "It is true," he said through gritted teeth, "That the presence of a heartbond may make an exception to the law. I don't suppose you could produce the child you have illegally formed this heartbond with?"

This was the moment. Sarah released Toby. Jareth gestured for his son. Toby walked into the center with Jareth, looking very small and fragile. Jareth hugged the boy against him, making it clear he would protect him at all costs.

"This is the son of my heart," Jareth declared proudly. "Test the heartbond between us, and if you find it true, I demand the Council recognize him as my son by law, and declare him my heir as the Goblin Prince."

Sarah stifled her gasp. As far as she understood it, if the Council did acknowledge Toby as Jareth's son, he would have full rights to her brother. He would no longer need her permission for anything regarding Toby. What if he decided that Toby was going to live with him from now on? It was impossible to deny that Jareth could and would give him advantages in this world, but what about his life in the Aboveground? What about her?

There was a moment of silence. Every eye was on the small boy and the man in the middle of the room. Sarah felt Fae power reaching for them, but Jareth didn't react. He glared at Lord Malack, waiting for the verdict. One by one the other lords sat back, satisfied by Jareth's claim. After a short discussion, Lord Malack's face turned sour.

"The Council recognizes the presence of a heartbond between the Goblin King and the boy," he said reluctantly.

Sarah held her breath.

"However, given the Goblin King's flagrant violation of the laws, the Council refuses to acknowledge the child as his son."

Jareth sagged in defeat. His last, best gamble had fallen through. Lord Malack continued on, listing out all the reasons for denying his request.

"King Jareth does not have direct authority over the child; therefore he cannot take the child as a son. No child of a Fae can live Aboveground. There is not enough magic to sustain them. The child is as mortal as any other human, and unable to perform the simplest of magics. The presence of the heartbond is unfortunate, but our original sentence still stands."

"What if he could?" Jareth asked wildly. "I hold that a child of a Fae _can_ live Aboveground, in the presence of a suitably powerful Fae. I hold that my s… That this child _can_ perform magic. If that is possible, will the Council reconsider?"

Lord Malack started to deny it, but for the first time another Fae spoke up. "I would see this," he declared. "The mortals lost the ability to work magics long ago. If a human child from the Aboveground can work magic, I say the Council should reconsider its position regarding the Goblin King's defiance."

Jareth bowed his head. "Thank you, Lord Cytrin," he breathed. He knelt down in front of Toby.

"No contact, now," Lord Cytrin admonished. "It must be his own magic."

Jareth didn't reach for Toby. "You can do this," he said fervently. "You've seen me do it a thousand times. Hold out your hand, and call a crystal to you."

Toby nodded nervously. He raised his hands, looking very small in the center of the chamber. Everyone leaned forward to watch with bated breath. Sarah willed something, anything to happen. She'd felt Jareth's power, and the magic of the other lords. She had never felt it from Toby. He had never done anything the least bit magical. She hoped desperately that Jareth was right. If it was the only way they could keep seeing the Goblin King, she would put up with a magical brother gladly.

For a long moment, nothing happened. Several of the Fae lords sat back, confidence Toby had failed. Lord Malack scoffed in open derision. And then—it felt like a tiny candle flame suddenly igniting inside Toby. A wisp of power stirred, and a lumpy crystal formed on Toby's hand.

"Impossible!" Lord Malack hissed, but his voice was overtaken by several exclamations from the other lords.

"Good job, Toby!" Sarah forgot herself enough to shout. Thankfully she wasn't heard in the general commotion. Jareth was grinning in relief; she realized he hadn't known if it would work. He picked up Toby with one arm, holding his son tightly. Her heart squeezed at seeing the three of them together, Jareth, Toby, and the baby girl. All that was missing to make it a perfect tableau was the presence of a mother and wife. Could she be that? She dragged her attention back to the court, but she was much more hopeful than before. After that, was there any doubt that things would go their way?

The Council deliberated for a long time. In particular there seemed to be a hot debate between Lord Malack and Lord Cytrin. Finally Lord Malack sat back with a huff, and Lord Cytrin spoke up.

"The Council has reversed its sentence on the Goblin King," he declared. "King Jareth, we will not try to separate you from this boy. His ability to work magic is commendable, and a testament to your bond with him. However, we still hold that no true child of a Fae can live in the Aboveground, especially not one which will occupy a position of such importance as your heir. Therefore, the boy is _not_ your son. We appoint you as godfather and second guardian of the child. Should the primary guardians be unable to care for him, only then might you have full custody of the boy. If ever the child comes to live in the Underworld, the Council is willing to revisit our decision and possibly grant full rights. This case is closed." Lord Cytrin hit the gavel on the table.

Sarah rose and went to Jareth. Since he didn't have an arm free, she hugged all of them together. She leaned on them, stunned. It was over. She didn't know whether to cheer or sob. They hadn't lost Jareth, but it hadn't gone all their way either. She supposed it was good that the Council wasn't going to separate them, but at the same time they had the gall to say that Jareth was only a godfather? One look in his eyes told he it wasn't enough for him. In his heart, and in hers as well, he was nothing less than Toby's father. Nothing the Council said was going to change that. Still, it was a hard blow to take. Some of Jareth's faith in his people must have been damaged.

"Let's get out of here," he muttered, looking at her. She nodded, but Lord Malack, bane of their existence, spoke again.

"I have another matter to put before the Council," he said. "There is the issue of the mortal girl that King Jareth brought into our realm."

She felt a chill down her spine. He was talking about her. She stared at Jareth in horror. Something flicked in his eyes, remote and powerful. She could see him thinking about blasting his way out of there, completely severing his allegiance with his people. Sarah took a deliberate step back. With his arms full of Toby and the baby, he couldn't reach for her and teleport them out. He wouldn't leave her, and so he was forced to stay and deal with the Council again.

With a snarl of frustration, he turned back to Lord Malack. "I am allowed to bring a visitor to the Underworld," he snapped. "There is no issue here."

"You already have a visitor," Lord Malack pointed out maliciously. "You have brought your _godson_ here. It remains to be seen if you are allowed the girl."

Jareth stilled. He put Toby down with a murmured, "Hold onto me." Toby clung to his legs. Jareth reached back blindly and caught Sarah's wrist before she could evade him. She felt the tension in him. Even though it wasn't directed at her, she still held her breath. Her heart was beating very fast. What was the Council going to do to her? What was Jareth going to do to get her out of it?

"No," he said very firmly. "This is my _godson's_ sister. I bear full responsibility for her. Anything you might do to her, you will do to me instead. I will not compromise on this." He sounded deadly serious. If she was Lord Malack, she would have reconsidered whatever she was going to say.

Instead, the Fae lord was determined to needle Jareth. "So you have adopted the sister as well? You do insist on doing things unconventionally. Very well, since we have acknowledged the boy, we are willing to give you the girl as well, providing you grant us a concession."

"No," Jareth repeated.

"She is of marriageable age," Lord Malack mused. "If you consider yourself as her father, why have you not arranged a match for her yet?"

Sarah wrinkled her nose, both at the thought of Jareth as her father and at an arranged marriage to another Fae. The only Fae she was willing to be with was—

"No," Jareth was adamant, but Lord Malack was oblivious.

"It would go a long way toward assuring the Council of your allegiance if you give her over to us. It is pity she can do no magic, but she is pure human. I daresay someone can be convinced to marry her. She will be fertile enough, with the right mate—"

"I said no!" Jareth shouted. He jerked hard at her wrist suddenly. She stumbled into him. He took a stony grip around her middle. With her side pressed to his chest, she felt his heartbeat racing. He was panting for breath, his eyes wild. She stared at him in astonishment. He had done well to keep his temper during Toby's trial; why was he losing it over her?

It appeared this was just the reaction Lord Malack was looking for. He paused delectably.

"So, it's like that," he mused. "You have decided to take her as your own mate. You must know that we will never allow you to marry—"

Whatever else he said she never knew, because abruptly they were someplace else. Jareth had teleported them away from there. She looked up at him uncertainly. Was what Lord Malack said correct? And what was that about not being able to marry? Not that she _wanted_ to marry…

"Jareth?" she asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," he said harshly, spinning away from her.

"Daddy?" Toby asked in a tiny voice. Jareth knelt and took the boy in a one armed hug. For a long time they stayed like that. Sarah took a moment. It looked like Jareth had taken them to a deep forest somewhere. The air was rich with magic, so they were still in the Underground. She hoped Jareth wouldn't get in too much trouble for leaving like that. Finally he stood up again. He looked at her. The look in his eyes was haunted, and she didn't question him again.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Are you?"

"I'll be fine," he said, checking on the baby girl. She had managed to sleep through everything. "Your new parents are going to have an easy time with you," he said with a faint smile. He looked up suddenly, his expression becoming fixed.

"Jareth?" Sarah looked around in alarm. She didn't see anything to be worried about, but this wasn't her world. She grabbed his shoulder, and she heard it: the deep, mournful tolling of an ancient tower bell. It sounded faint as if far away, but each note reverberated through her and Jareth as if they stood directly under it. Automatically she counted the number of times it rang. Thirteen. Jareth gave a fine shudder, and looked down at the baby girl.

"You're ours now, little one," he said.

Sarah expected to feel something… more when she realized the baby's thirteen hours were up. Maybe a mixed feeling of regret and relief, knowing that one family was missing a baby, while another would receive one. After the tense atmosphere of the council chamber though, she was emotionally worn. She knew Jareth would send the girl to a family that would love her. That was enough for her.

"Do you know where she's going?" Sarah asked quietly.

He nodded. "It's not far from here. I knew her time was almost up." He began to walk through the woods. Sarah took Toby's hand and followed him. Within a couple minutes a cozy looking cottage appeared between the trees. It blended so well into the forest that she saw the orange light of the windows first, and then she made out the rest of it. It wasn't large on the scale of Jareth's castle, or even the council chamber, but it had a well-kept appearance. It reminded her of an old armchair by the fire, not fancy, but very comfortable to sit in.

Sarah and Toby hung back while Jareth knocked on the door. A Fae man in simple homespun answered it. He saw who was on his doorstep and blanched.

"My Lord! King Jareth, it is an honor," the Fae stammered, and hastily knelt before the Goblin King.

"The honor is mine, Kerlin Mallow," Jareth replied. "Please stand. I have brought you a gift."

Kerlin stood, still looking nervous to be hosting nobility. He didn't seem to notice what Jareth held until the Goblin King placed the bundle in his arms. The other Fae froze, staring at the sleeping infant.

"Congratulations," Jareth said. "You've just had a baby. It's a girl."

"Mayla!" Kerlin chocked out. "Mayla, come quick. The Goblin King is here! He's brought us— by the Labyrinth, we're parents now!"

A Fae woman came to the door, wiping her hands on her apron. She gasped when she saw the baby. "Is that her? Truly? This isn't a crystal dream?"

"Don't be afraid of her, mother," Jareth said kindly. "She is your daughter now."

"Look at her, Mayla," Kerlin said, crying. "She's so perfect. Ours. Our daughter, can you believe it?"

The woman was crying too, crowding close to her husband and new daughter. Her hands were shaking when she reached out and delicately touched the baby's face. "Our little girl. Our baby girl," she repeated as if she couldn't believe it. "Thank you, Goblin King. Oh, thank you so much! We can never repay you for what you've given us."

"Love her, that is all the payment I need," Jareth said, backing away.

"We will, be certain that we will!"

The new parents were too enraptured by their baby to notice Jareth leaving. He wrapped both Sarah and Toby in a hug, and once more teleported them to his castle.

* * *

Jareth

The remainder of Sarah and Toby's visit went well. He enjoyed the first time he was able to bring his son home again. The Council's decision not to recognize Toby as his full son hurt, but their ruling couldn't affect what he felt in his heart. He was torn between anger and fright at how close they had come to separating him from Sarah and Toby for the rest of their human lives. He wondered if the Council really could have confined him to the Underground. If he was as strong as Neiven suggested, it was possible he might have been able to punch through any restrictions they placed on him. He probably would have started a war with the Council at the same time, which could not help anyone.

He did not mean to defy the Council. He only wanted to live his life and take care of his family. He loved seeing the joy on the faces of new parents when he brought them a child. Why couldn't the Council allow him that same joy…? Lord Malack's last words haunted him as well. He had gone in expecting jabs about his son, and had known he needed to keep his temper. But when the old Fae started in on Sarah, it was all he could do to keep it together.

Her reaction to it did not help. He had been frustrated over their ruling on Toby, and ready to be done with that place and the cranky Fae there. And then Lord Malack began to bait him again. He was finished with behaving like a tamed dog. He was the Goblin King, and it was time the Council remembered who they were dealing with. His kingdom predated the formation of the Council, therefore his was the older, stronger position if he chose to make an issue of it. He did choose, and Sarah tried to prevent him.

She stepped away from him, out of his protection. Hot emotion rushed through him, feral and undefined. His thoughts focused only on getting his family away from there. And yes, at that moment he considered Sarah his family as well. Not as a daughter, as Lord Malack insinuated. The moment the old Fae began talking about arranging a marriage for Sarah, Jareth knew he would never allow her to marry any Fae but himself. If she chose a human mate from her world, he would do his best to step back and allow her to live her life as she wished, but if she wanted someone from _his_ world, it would be him or no one.

Later, when he was able to think rationally again, he realized that Sarah had been trying to protect him by stepping back. She saw that he was about to do something rash, and was trying to prevent him. Instead her actions allowed Lord Malack to goad him into revealing his feelings for her.

Yes, he could no longer deny it. Sarah had lodged hard in his heart, and refused to budge from there. He knew what he felt, but he refused to name it. If he didn't give it a name, he could pretend that he was not so far gone already. Neiven had tried to warn him against her, but it had been too late. It was too late from the moment he asked her for help, and she answered without hesitation.

There was nothing he could do about it. The Council would not allow Toby to be his son because he lived in the Aboveground, and they would not allow Sarah to be his wi... _his... _for the same reason. Lord Malack had already expressly stated it. Jareth's hands were tied behind his back. He knew he would never consider another partner. Even should Sarah be removed from his life, either by time or by her choosing another male, he could not see himself moving on and forgetting her.

Nor was he free to express himself to her. The Council would not allow him to do the right thing by her, and he would not sully her by asking her to accept him outside of those bonds. Humans might be casual about those kinds of things, but Fae were not. He would not put her in a position of having to hide their relationship. Should something happen to them, or the Council take exception to his actions again, he could not protect her without the proper bonds in place. It would be even worse if he confessed himself to her, and she returned his feelings. To know what the other felt, but unable to act on it, would be the worst sort of torture.

So he said nothing to Sarah about it. He strove to pretend Lord Malack's parting shot hadn't struck him a mortal blow. She allowed him that fiction, but there was no doubt she had been affected too. She acted differently around him. There was a new caution in her that hadn't been there before the Council meeting. They were faultlessly courteous to each other, but it was as if they were dancing around the true subject without touching it. They presented a happy front for Toby's sake, but when they were alone, there were more silences.

He didn't know how she felt about him. If it wasn't for the Council's interference, he would have locked her in a room until they could hash things out, for better or worse. But again, he would not force her to live with expectations he could not fulfill. He hoped she knew that he did not think of her as a daughter. She might be his son's sister, but paternal emotion was the furthest thing from what he felt for her. If she made it clear that she felt nothing but friendship for him, it would have been easier. He could have locked his emotions in his heart, and pretended all was well. He would not burden her with having to refuse him. Instead, there was just enough of a hint that she might accept him that he dared not speak, and could not forget his feelings.

As they watched Toby together, she laid her head on his shoulder. She unconsciously leaned on him as he showed them his kingdom. Her eyes turned to him, wide with wonder, when she saw magic. It was always when she forgot herself that these little gestures happened. When they were alone together, after Toby had gone to bed, she was more careful in her actions. She kept her hands to herself. She didn't look at him except when she couldn't avoid it. Her words became stilted and awkward. It was as if she was fighting the same feelings towards him that he felt for her. It was that wretched hope which kept him from being able to lock away his heart.

He supposed it should have been a relief when Sarah and Toby when back to the Aboveground at the end of two days. He was no longer constantly reminded of what he could never have. Instead he found himself rattling through the wide, hollow corridors of his castle, feeling just how empty his home was. It used to seem crowded and noisy with the goblins, but now he missed the sound of his son's laughter, and the subtle presence that told him when Sarah was near.

His life was very lonely without them.


	13. Year 7 Part 1

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry I'm a day late in posting this. I've been sick the last couple days, and yesterday I had such a bad migraine that I went to the ER. They gave me some morphine, and let's just say I was feeling REALLY good after that. And I also slept a good 18 hours because of it. So anyway, feeling better today, and I'm here to post another chapter. As always, thanks for your reviews! Year 7 is the biggest conflict in the story. Yes, bigger than year 6. This is the start of the end. I wonder how Jareth will take Sarah dating other people...**

* * *

Year 7

Jareth

Humans have a saying that time heals all wounds, but in the case of the unresolved issues with Sarah, it just festered. Things still hadn't been the same between them since the Council meeting. He hated it. Resentment grew in him toward the Council. In the normal course of things, he should have been allowed to foster his interest in Sarah, and then begin to court her as was proper. Instead he was in this state of suspended animation, unable to move forward or take it back.

The closest he could come to courting Sarah was when he took both her and Toby out together. At first Sarah demurred. He hoped it was more out of a sense of fairness—she didn't want to intrude on his time with Toby—than because she didn't want to go with them. Toby ended up as his best ally in this matter. Oblivious to any tension between the adults, all he knew was that spending time with Jareth was fun, and he wanted to share that fun with Sarah.

She relaxed a little when Toby was with them. The presence of her brother eased the potential that Jareth would focus only on her. His son was one of the few safe topics between them. They both loved the boy, and took unashamed pride in his accomplishments. Still, the time they spent together was a pitiful offering compared to what he could do if he really was courting her. If this was all that was allowed to him, he would take it. It was better than nothing.

He still hadn't talked to her about Lord Malack's last words and what they meant. She hadn't forgotten. He could see it in her eyes sometimes, that she was wondering what they were doing, what possible future could exist for them. He also hadn't named his emotions, or asked about hers. He was getting good at avoiding uncomfortable subjects. Still, as long as she didn't date other men he had the hope that she desired him.

Since he could not in good conscious to make an offer to her, or even broach the subject, he resolved to not interfere if she showed interest in another man. His decision was tested severely one night when she called him to her house. The first thing he noticed was the way she looked. Normally Sarah's attire ran to casual jeans and shirts. She could look stunning in a proper dress, as he had seen when she visited his world last year, but for the most part she preferred sturdy, comfortable clothes. This time, however, she was in a skirt and blouse.

It still wasn't the full-length outfits he was used to seeing woman wear, but the simple skirt that fell in a smooth line to below her knees looked good on her. The blouse was feminine and coy without being brazen. She had applied a light touch of make-up, and petite gems glinted in her ears that matched her eyes. Her hair had been freshly washed and was in a twist at the back of her head, exposing her delicate neck. She was trying to put on a necklace to go with her earrings, but was struggling with the clasp behind her neck. Jareth's mouth went dry when he saw the way she was dressed. Everything in him was attracted to her no matter what she was wearing, but in this outfit she was especially appealing.

"Allow me," he murmured, stepping up behind her. He took the ends of the gold chain from her, and smoothly latched the clasp in place. His hands lingered on the bare skin of her shoulders, feeling her warmth even through his gloves. He wished he wasn't wearing them, to be able to feel her skin on his.

"Thank you," she said breathlessly. "I know it's not your night to watch Toby, but do you think you could take him for a couple hours?"

"Of course," he said in surprise, for the first time beginning to wonder why she was dressed up like this. If it wasn't for his sake…

"Thanks so much, I have dinner with Charles tonight—"

"Charles?" he asked sharply. He dropped his hands and stepped away from her. She scarcely noticed, distracted by her upcoming dinner.

"Yes, it was very last minute, but I'm really looking forward to it. You're a dear for taking Toby like this. Wish me luck!" She gave him a quick hug. He all but leapt back from her, seething inside. _Charles_. She got dressed up for _Charles,_ was having dinner with _Charles_. And he, like an idiot, was letting her go. She gave him an odd look, and then left before he could say a word. Pain and rage flashed equally through his system. It was far harder to watch her leave for another man. He wanted to find this _Charles_ and rip him into pieces for daring to touch _his_ Sarah. At the same time, why wouldn't she go out with someone else? He wasn't exactly encouraging on that front.

He ground his teeth together in frustration. His heart was torn by Sarah's leaving, and his soul railed against standing here and doing nothing about it. His instincts demanded that he go after her, _fight_ for what was his! His honor warned him from committing to any action he couldn't follow through on. He could stop Sarah, tell her how he felt—and then what?

They still faced the same problems. He couldn't court her, couldn't marry her without risking a struggle with the Council. Lord Malack knew Sarah was his weakness, and would likely target her in order to bring him down. What sort of life could he offer her and Toby if he was beset on every side? His mind knew all this, but it didn't make his heart burn any less.

"Daddy? I'm bored, can we go out?" Toby asked.

"Have you finished your homework?" he responded automatically, his attention still on Sarah and _Charles_.

"No," Toby pouted.

"Finish your homework, and then we'll see about going out." A thought occurred to him, and he began to smile. It wasn't a pleasant expression. Yes, maybe they would go out. And they would see about this _Charles_ with his Sarah.

With a little bit of help, Toby's homework was finished about forty-five minutes later. Jareth figured that was perfect time for Sarah to have arrived at her date with _Charles_, and for them to have settled in. Toby asked eagerly where they were going while he put on his jacket. Jareth skillfully avoided answering. He didn't know where Sarah had gone to meet _Charles_, and part of him knew it wasn't right to take his son spying on Sarah's date. It was a very small part. Most of him still felt the Goblin King's outrage that someone was taking _his_ woman out on a date. He wanted to set both of them right about where she belonged.

He rationalized it by thinking he would expect the same behavior from Sarah if he happened to go out with another woman. Indeed, few things would make him happier than for Sarah to chase him and stake her claim on him. That made him pause for a moment, and wonder if she had set this up deliberately as a way to goad him into action. No, she had been too distracted when she was getting ready for her date. She hadn't paid attention to his reaction, nor did she emphasize it to inflame him further. If she hadn't realized just how much she had taunted him, she was about to get a sharp wake-up!

It required great and subtle magic to track Sarah without her being aware of it. Since her second visit to the Underworld, she had become increasingly sensitive to magic. Toby was still better at it than her, as he had been exposed to it at a younger age, but she was slowly picking up things here and there. If she ever moved the Underground, she'd probably be as magical as any Fae in a year or two. Every human that lived in the Underground developed a certain amount of magical skill over time. What made Sarah's case unique was that she didn't live there. It was purely exposure to him, to the magic he'd placed in his son's room as an infant, that was changing her.

He couldn't use his crystals to follow Sarah, because she would sense those too easily. He took a few hairs from her brush, and used those to home in on her location. He brought Toby along on a series of short teleports, no more than a mile or two at a time so he wouldn't overshoot her position. Between jumps he checked her direction again, to make sure he was heading the right way. At first Toby thought it was terribly exciting to be following Sarah covertly. It was like they were spies in some movie he had seen. However, after the first couple jumps, it wasn't nearly as interesting as he'd expected, and he was quickly becoming bored. Jareth would have to make sure he brought Toby somewhere fun to make up for this trip.

He was close enough now that he walked along the street instead of teleporting. Sarah was somewhere in the next couple blocks. He cast a disguise over himself and Toby, so they wouldn't be recognized in case she saw them. They rounded a corner, and Jareth saw a fancy restaurant. He instantly knew this was the place. It spoke of elegance and money, with a subdued atmosphere which made it feel intimate and reassuring. It was the kind of place _he_ would have brought Sarah if he was courting her.

He instructed Toby to wait by the corner as he walked casually by the restaurant. He used his peripheral vision to check through the windows without appearing to look in. On his second pass by the restaurant, he saw her. She was laughing, and so beautiful it took his breath away. His concentration wavered and his disguise slipped. He tore his eyes from Sarah to take a look at _Charles_, at the man he wanted to murder.

Charles was not at all what he was expecting. For one thing, Charles was a woman. For another, she was more than twice Sarah's age. She wore a classy business suit, and her greying hair was loose and shoulder length. A wedding ring glinted on her hand. Jareth was confused. He had heard of people that preferred their own gender as mates, but Sarah had never been like that. Nor did Sarah and Charles sit with the attitude of lovers. All of the self-righteous, murderous jealousy inside him turned sheepish and uncertain. When he followed Sarah, he'd had little thought but to see who Charles was, and maybe confront him about taking other people's women. But this was something clearly different from what he'd assumed.

He had given up all pretense of subterfuge. He stood in place sight, without a disguise, staring in through the restaurant like a starving man at a feast. It wasn't the food that drew him though. It was Sarah. All he could think about was how nice she looked, and how he wished it was him in there instead of that unknown woman. Sarah was not on a date with the woman, but if he was in there, it certainly would have been a date. It would have been courting.

At that moment, as if sensing his gaze, Sarah looked up at him. He ducked out of sight quickly, his heart pounding. Had she seen him? More, had she felt he was near, the way he could do to her? He desperately wanted to take another look at her, but felt he had pressed his luck enough. He disguised himself again, and quickly walked back to where he'd left Toby. His son didn't complain, but it was clear he wasn't enjoying himself. Now knowing that Sarah wasn't on a date with another man, Jareth felt doubly guilty for bringing his son along on this trip.

They went to an arcade, where Jareth provided an unlimited amount of game tokens. He didn't find the noisy, flashing, chirping games particularly appealing, but Toby was excited by it. They stayed for a couple hours, until it was time to get home before Sarah. He brought Toby back and got him settled into bed. Jareth remained, watching his son sleep, until Sarah came home about twenty minutes later. She gave no indication she had seen him as she checked on her brother.

"Thanks again for watching him," she said, moving to her room. She left the door open, which he took as an invitation to follow.

"It was my pleasure," he said warmly. "How was your dinner with Charles?"

"Mrs. Charles was very nice. One of my professors set up this interview with her for a potential job." She paused and studied him. "And you're not surprised that Charles is a woman. That _was_ you at the restaurant! Why were you following me? And who was watching Toby while you were out?"

He sniffed dismissively. "_I_ was watching Toby. He was fine. And I just wanted to make sure you were safe with Charles."

"You brought him with you to spy on me?" she demanded furiously.

He felt again that prick of conscious for involving his son. At the same time he admired the way her eyes flashed, and the color in her cheeks. By the Labyrinth, she was stunning when she was angry. He had always admired her feistiness when she was young, and now that she was a grown woman, all he wanted to do was pin her to the wall and kiss her senseless.

"I wouldn't have put him in danger," he said absently, shifting closer to her. His heart was pounding, and his skin felt too warm. To hell what the Council thought, he was about to take matters into his own hands once and for all. He was leaning toward her when she put a hand on his chest and stopped him abruptly. She took a step back, maintaining distance between them. He felt a flash of irritation at being halted. He continued with watch her with predatory intent.

"I appreciate your concern for my safety," she said, arching her eyebrows sarcastically. "But would you have still checked on me if I said I was going out with Anita Charles?"

He smirked, folding his arms across his chest. "Probably not," he admitted, curious to see what she was getting at.

She huffed impatiently. "You were jealous!"

How neatly he had fallen into that trap. "Am I not allowed to be concerned for you?" he retorted, avoiding a direct answer.

"Not to the point where you're stalking me! Jareth, you have no right to dictate who I go out with."

He frowned. No, but he wanted that right. He wanted to tell her that she could go out with her friends as much as she wanted, but _he_ was the only man she would be seeing.

"What, do you have something to say to that?" she scowled, spoiling for a fight.

The Goblin King had never in his life backed from a fight. He opened his mouth to retort—and remembered Lord Malack's parting words to him. The Council would never allow him to marry her. It was all well and good to say screw the consequences and do what he wanted, but he had others to think about. Sarah and Toby were not Fae. They were very human, and very mortal. The Council would not hesitate to strike at them to hurt him.

And if he began this fight with Sarah, he knew very well where it was going to go. He would reveal his deep attraction for her—he still wouldn't allow himself to name what was in his heart—and then he would see how she felt at last. But what if she didn't want him? She had stopped him from kissing her earlier. His actions had been pretty obvious. And she was picking this fight with him. If she wanted him to court her, would she really be that upset about the way he'd interfered? Was he about to start something with the Council over nothing?

He closed his mouth and shook his head. No, he had no right to involve Sarah in the dangerous politics of his world, not when she had no desire to join him. He stepped away, raising his hands in surrender. It burned to do that.

She nodded, folding her arms like he had done earlier. "That's what I thought. Go away, Jareth." She turned her back on him.

Rage pounded through him. That's what she thought? What did she mean? He was doing this for her! Couldn't she see that everything was for her? He wanted to grab her shoulder and shake her! After that he was going to kidnap her and Toby to his castle, where he was going to lock them up where no one could hurt them. He would have it out with Sarah, once and for all—! And then what would be left of her? She didn't want him. She most ardently defended her rights to be free of him. If he showed her what he truly felt, forced her from her home, her world, he would be forced to keep her prisoner. He would break her. No matter how much it hurt to deny himself, he couldn't do that to her.

He left.


	14. Year 7 Part 2

**A/N: Thanks for your reviews! Good and bad reviews both give me something to think about, so I do welcome criticism as well, so long as it's not a totl flame. I know the last chapter was sad and frustrating. I would like to tell you that it gets better from here... but it doesn't. There will be a happy ending, but this is the angsty part first. I know you'd be sad if someone died... so I'm just going to say I'm sorry. **

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Year 7 part 2

Sarah

He left. She felt the moment he was gone. The air that had grown thick and heavy with tension was suddenly light and empty. She let out a sob and collapsed on her bed. He just left her. He'd never been serious in his intention toward her at all. After a year of dancing around the subject, she finally thought to confront him on it, and it had all gone so wrong. She'd wanted to know if he felt more for her than simple attraction. It had been underhanded to set him up that way, using Anita's last name only.

She had felt a frisson of hope when she caught a glimpse of him at the restaurant. He cared! He cared that she was out with someone who could have been another man. She confronted him about it afterward. She gave him every opportunity to admit he wanted more from her, and he didn't take it. She should have let him kiss her after all. The problem was that she didn't want his kisses. Or rather, she wanted more than a kiss from him. She didn't want a fling, a one-night-stand, or yet another first date that never went further. She wanted him. All of him.

So what was she to him? Was she simply convenient because she was always around? She knew for a while that they were attracted to each other. It took longer to realize that her heart was involved as well. But evidently his wasn't. She had never hurt this much in her life. She took a risk, and it failed. Why did she have to be so impatient? She curled up on her bed and cried huge, racking sobs. It was all she could do to be quiet so she wouldn't wake Toby. Why did it have to hurt so much? Why did she have to fall in love with a man who didn't love her? How was she to recover from this pain? Neiven had been wrong! It wasn't Jareth who was falling in love. It wasn't his heart that got broken in the end.

She cried herself out, and then fell into a restless sleep. In the morning, she scooped up the shattered pieces of her hopes and dreams and swept them into the trash. Maybe she should have been an actress after all, because she was doing a lot of acting now. She pretended nothing was wrong with her. Toby could sense there was some sadness in her, but he couldn't pry it out of her. Her parents didn't notice, of course. Why would they care? And Jareth… no, he certainly didn't care either.

He had been her friend, her confidant. It was too awkward to go back to that now. When he came to visit Toby, she didn't meet his eyes. She could barely look at him. Their conversations were stilted, and died a quick death. Toby obviously knew something was wrong between them, but by mutual accord they would not bring their problems up in front of him. She felt like having the "divorce" talk with Toby, the one where the parents explain that just because Mommy and Daddy don't love each other anymore, it doesn't mean that they don't love him as much as ever. Of that she was at least assured. She might never have been more to Jareth than a glorified nanny for his son, but he certainly still loved Toby.

Gone were the days that she would go out with both of them. Toby invited her along, but she found excuses to stay behind. Jareth said nothing, no doubt wanting the separation as bad as she. And despite that, she still loved him. She loved him, and it hurt every time she saw him and he wouldn't look at her.

It was worse when she and Toby got out of school for the summer. She had nothing but time on her hands. Jareth was over nearly every day to see Toby. She shut herself in her room so she wouldn't hear his voice. Toby was growing rapidly now. He had progressed from playing with daggers to what Jareth called a dirk. He also had magic lessons. Jareth had by necessity placed a binding on Toby so he could only work magic when Jareth was around. She figured it probably kept a few of Toby's class mates from levitating. Sometimes a goblin floated past her second story window, though she very early on made Merlin off limits to magic lessons.

It was in the middle of July when Robert suddenly announced that they were taking a family vacation to Japan. Karen apparently knew about it, but Sarah and Toby were completely caught off-guard. She was instantly suspicious. They had never taken a family vacation before, at least not one that lasted for more than three days. This time they were to spend three _weeks_ in Japan. How had Robert gotten the time off of work?

She had the unpleasant task of telling Jareth that they would be gone for a while. Until they knew their itinerary, it would be difficult to find times to include him in this trip. Of course, he had no problems with traveling, but it would be difficult to explain why this strange looking man had such a close relationship with Toby. She couldn't pretend he was her boyfriend either. _That_ option was most thoroughly out, by Jareth's own actions.

The Goblin King listened to her politely. He took it surprisingly well, she thought, considering his past reactions to attempts to separate him from his son. Perhaps it helped that Toby was very excited about the trip, and never stopped talking about it. Sarah narrowly convinced him not to ask Jareth to take him to Japan ahead of time. Jareth caught her eyes briefly and nodded; he agreed not to spoil the surprise of a new country.

The day of their vacation arrived. They had to get up at a very odd time of night to take a redeye flight into Japan. As they were hustled through various lines and presented shoes, passports, and the contents of their pockets—not necessarily in that order—to various officials, she found herself wistfully thinking of Jareth's easy and instantaneous way of traveling.

Arriving in Japan for the first time was very much of a culture shock. They were already groggy and jetlagged from their flight, and now everyone was speaking an incomprehensible language around them. A taxi driver met them and brought them to their hotel. After a decent nap in order to feel awake again, Robert presented their itineraries.

Sarah was less than pleased. As it turned out, Robert hadn't gotten the time off of work. This was a business trip, and he would be gone all hours of the day as he met with various business partners. For each of his family, he had arranged a separate itinerary. For Karen was a general round of spa treatments and shopping. Karen seemed actually pleased by that prospect. Sarah's list included a non-stop three week tour that appeared to include everything a fourteen-year-old girl would want to do. Evidently Robert had forgotten that his daughter was in college now. But Toby's itinerary… His was the worst.

If Robert didn't realize that Sarah was an adult, he also didn't realize that Toby was no longer wearing diapers. Toby was given over, from morning until night, to a combination day-care and preschool service. Robert felt his family should be pleased to have their own separate things to do without having to worry about the baby of the family. Sarah was furious and tried to protest. Karen and Robert both overruled her. Toby looked terrified to be given to stranger, especially when he didn't speak their language. The few people who did speak English generally had such strong accents that they were still almost impossible to understand.

Sarah almost called Jareth to whisk them away to his castle for three weeks. Surely that would be _much_ more enjoyable than _this_. And then she remembered, he might take Toby away, but she was certainly not invited. She almost did it regardless. Jareth could be trusted with Toby for that long, though her brother would likely come back with a host of more magic tricks to try out. She didn't know how to explain Toby's absence though. In the end, she decided against it, though she told Toby that if at any time he became too scared or lonely, he was to call up his second father to take him away. Jareth would care for Toby far better than Robert during this vacation.

However, it wasn't as bad as Sarah feared. There were several other business-trip orphans at the service, and if only a few of them spoke English, children had a way of crossing the language barrier far easier than adults did. Toby got on well with them, and was cautiously enjoying himself. Sarah too found her interest more engaged than she realized. It wasn't necessarily the attractions they went to, as just the general air of being in a foreign country. She found the Japanese culture to be fascinating, and she wasn't shy about trying new foods and customs, which quickly endeared her to her tour guides.

She was able to forget her heartache over Jareth for a time, which was the best part of all. It was only at night, when she was trying to fall asleep after an exhausting day, that she remembered the pain again. She thought about the new things she had tried, and thought about how much she would have liked to experience them with someone else. Someone special. The only special person in her life was still the Goblin King, no matter how had she tried not to be in love with him. Not seeing him during this time was awful. It really brought home that even though he didn't love her, she still enjoyed his company, no matter how awkward it had been lately. If she couldn't be his… just _his_, then she could still be a friend. She would never forget how she had loved him, but having even a small part of him was better than nothing at all.

There were only two days of their vacation left when disaster struck. Sarah had managed to convince her tour guide to forget the schedule for one day, and let her visit Toby in his daycare service. She couldn't check him out of the program because she was not on the list of authorized people—something over which she was furious about—but she could visit him during their outing to a playground.

Toby was overjoyed to see her, and introduced her to his new friends. She quickly forgot their names, but was glad to see Toby having such fun. She got caught up in a game of imagination with the children. They looked up to her with awe, having never seen an adult that could play pretend as well as they. Their game was part role-playing, and part story-telling. Sarah added a few things from the Labyrinth, which the children loved. Toby and Sarah grinned at each other, aware of the secret no one else knew. If only there was a job where she could tell stories to children all day! Maybe she could become a day-care teacher, or a children's librarian or something. It was hardly the glorious career Robert and Karen kept pushing her toward, but she thought she could be content doing it.

It was a hot, bright day. The children had been playing for nearly two hours, and the daycare people were starting to round them up to go back. She was feeling rather overly warmth herself, and was glad for the break. Toby's face was flushed bright red, and his eyes were unusually bright when he turned to wave at her. She had a feeling of trepidation right before he collapsed into a seizure.

"Toby!" she screamed, running for her brother. The daycare people got there first, and tried to keep her away from him because she wasn't _authorized_.

"That's my brother!" she shouted, and cursed them until they let her through. His seizure had finished, but he was unconscious and his breathing was labored. His color was blotchy red and his body soaked in sweat. On occasion his limbs still trembled uncontrollably. His skin was scorching hot. The daycare workers didn't want to move him as they waited for their ambulance to arrive, but she made them take him into the shade and splash cool water on him.

She sat with his head on her lap, stroking his hair and praying he would be alright. Her heart was racing in fear, her stomach sick with it. What was wrong with her brother? All she could think about was Jareth. He would have never let this happen. If he was here, he would have healed Toby already. She wanted to call him, but couldn't in this crowded place. Too many people were around. She was afraid to leave Toby for an instant to find a quiet place to call him, because if they were separated they might take Toby away and not let her see him.

The ambulance people came. They put an oxygen mask on her brother and took his temperature. It was 105.1. They placed ice packs in his arm pits and groin, and started an IV of cool liquids. They tried to remove him from Sarah to take him to the hospital, but she kicked up such a fuss that they bundled her into the ambulance with her. Once at the hospital it was a wild rush to try to bring down her brother's temperature. Everyone was shouting in Japanese, and she couldn't understand a word of it. The few phrases she had picked up during her stay were erased from her mind by the panic. She tried to tell someone to contact Robert and Karen, but wasn't sure the message got through.

Through everything, she kept hold of Toby's hand. He still hadn't woken up. They were able to bring down his temperature, but he looked to be in bad shape. He was pale, and his lungs were filling with some kind of fluid. She could hear it crackling in his chest as it threatened to drown him. Sarah was out of her mind with terror. The doctors stopped trying to get her away from Toby, as it was easier to work around her than to deal with the crazy lady.

There came a moment when she looked up from her very sick brother, to realize no one was looking in her direction. Everyone was standing a little way off, consulting with each other. On the other side of the room was a bathroom with a door that locked. Without giving herself time to think, she picked up Toby, IV bags and all, and ran to the bathroom. There was shouting behind her, but desperation made her faster than them.

She reached the bathroom, slammed shut the door and locked it. "Jareth, Jareth, Jareth!" she screamed, clutching Toby to her chest.

Jareth was there before she'd finished his name the first time. The tiny bathroom was very crowded with the three of them there.

"Give him to me!" Jareth wasted no time in helping Toby. He ran crystals down the boy's body. They dissolved into him, and Jareth called up more. She'd never seen him use more than two before, but he had to have used half a dozen already. There was shouting and pounding on the door. Jareth gave it an irritated look and flicked his wrist. Abruptly everything outside the bathroom went silent.

It took several tense moments and another half-dozen crystals, but Toby's breathing eased, and his color returned to normal. His skin was warm to the touch, no longer feverish. Jareth sagged in both exhaustion and relief. Sarah let out a sob that Toby would be alright.

"Thank you —" she choked out.

Jareth rounded furiously on her. "Why didn't you call me earlier?" he shouted. "Do you want him to die?"

She gasped and burst into tears, angry and guilty at the same time. In the next instant he was there, holding her tightly. She fought against him.

"No, shh, I'm sorry," he said, stroking her hair. "I'm sorry, Sarah, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I was just scared, like you were." He kissed her hair and her forehead, over and over as if he couldn't stop. Both of them were shaking. It was the first time they had touched since her disastrous plan. She couldn't enjoy it for fear of Toby.

He whispered apologies until she said hoarsely, "I know. I'm scared too. I shouldn't have waited so long."

"No, it was the right thing. I can hardly appear in the middle of a crowd, and we didn't know it could be so bad."

Sarah began to cry harder, clutching to him. "He's really sick, isn't he?" She meant more than what Jareth had already healed. This was unlike anything Toby had been through before.

"I don't know," Jareth whispered. "I don't know."

"I'm scared."

"I know. Me too."

They remained nestled together, forgetting their previous awkwardness, while they waited for Toby to wake. In this moment, they were united by their love of a child. It took a little while, but Toby began to stir.

"Dad? Sarah?" he asked groggily. "What are you doing here? Is this a bathroom? Why are you crying?"

Sarah was crying and hiccupping too hard to speak. Jareth knelt, bringing Sarah with him, and pulled Toby into his embrace. The three of them hugged. Toby had a headache, and was a little confused, but otherwise was fine from his ordeal. Jareth explained that Toby had been sick, but the boy couldn't remember it. In fact, he had forgotten the last day and a half. Jareth reluctantly released Sarah. They shared a long look, unwilling to part, but needing answers Jareth's magic couldn't give them.

She unlocked the bathroom door as Jareth disappeared. Hospital security burst in and dragged her away from Toby. Her brother screamed for her, but the fact that he was conscious and apparently fine was of more concern to the doctors than to the guards. For the first time ever, Sarah was arrested. She sat in handcuffs in an isolated room of the hospital with two guards, not knowing what was going on with Toby. She thought about calling Jareth to free her. With their new truce over Toby, he would do it for her. But it would be hard to explain how she got out, and she didn't want to make things worse by inciting the authorities.

She put her head down at the table and cried. And suddenly, Jareth was there again. He put his hand on her shoulder before kneeling by her chair. She jumped guiltily, and looked at the guards.

"They can neither see nor hear anything," he assured her. Indeed, the guards looked as though they had been frozen in time.

"You should go be with Toby," she said thickly, desperately needing to not be alone, but trying to be brave.

"He's having tests done," he stood, made her rise, then sat in her chair and pulled her into his lap. She snuggled into him, thinking how good it felt to be held. Jareth conjured a crystal to watch Toby, and they both looked into it. He wasn't cooperating with the doctors, asking for Sarah and his dad. Sarah and Jareth both knew which father he meant. Jareth fiddled with the crystal.

"Speak to him, he can hear us now," he said.

"Toby," she called. In the crystal, her brother stilled. "Toby, Jareth and I are fine. We're together, we're safe. You need to work with the doctors now."

"Only you can hear us," Jareth added, "But everyone can hear you. So don't say anything, but nod if you understand."

Toby nodded. "I want Dad to stay with Sarah," he said plaintively, as if still asking for them. Jareth's arms tightened around her.

"I will," he promised. "I have her. Do as your sister says now, and help the doctors make you better. We'll be watching you the whole time, Toby."

"I love you, Toby," Sarah said. She felt close to tears again, but tried to be strong for her brother.

"I love you, too," Jareth said.

Toby smiled, relaxing despite his scary surroundings. "I love you," he said out loud, and then began to cooperate with the medical staff.

At some point, Robert and Karen must have been contacted, because nearly an hour later they burst through the emergency room doors. Sarah would have gone mad during that time without Jareth. He sat with her, holding her, watching Toby together. They didn't speak much, but it was clear they drew comfort from each other.

Robert was dressed in his usual business suit, but Karen still had a little facial mud on her forehead. They immediately saw Toby. Karen fussed over him, while Robert spent a lot of time yelling at everyone until an interpreter was brought in. Several times Toby told Karen about Sarah being taking away. Karen said they'd take care of it, but Robert ignored it. Toby didn't seem to know what to do with the parents he rarely saw. It was another two hours before they sent someone after Sarah.

Jareth squeezed her one last time, and kissed her temple as if he didn't want to let go. He stood, and she took his place on the chair. When she reminded him to replace the handcuffs—she didn't even remember him taken them off of her, but her hands had been free since he came in—he got an ugly, wild look on his face. It was the expression of the Goblin King who didn't like something he was told. It reminded her of last year when Lord Malack started in on her. Maybe she had misinterpreted Jareth's feelings for her?

He reluctantly stepped behind her and put the handcuffs on her. She shuddered at the cool metal on his wrists. And then Jareth refused to leave. He stayed, holding her hands, until the moment when the door began to swing open. She was deeply grateful for his support. It was more than she got from her parents. Karen at least acknowledged her, but Robert only glared impatiently as if this whole thing was her fault. She held Toby's hand and bore the looks impatiently.

They were released from the hospital a few hours later, and driven back to their hotel room. They packed hastily and caught an early flight back home. During the flight, Toby began to get feverish again. At the first symptoms, Sarah jumped up and volunteered to take Toby to the bathroom. The airplane restroom was even small than the hospital one. Toby sat on the sink while Sarah called Jareth nervously. She wasn't sure he could teleport into a moving plane, but he managed it. Once more he healed Toby, and it took far more effort than it should have. Sarah and Jareth exchanged grim looks. Something major was happening in their little boy. Toby attempted to act fine, but clearly he was catching onto the adults' concern.

Jareth hugged and kissed Toby. "I love you," he said. Then to her surprise, he hugged and kissed her too, on the cheek this time. She didn't get a declaration of love, but he whispered her name in a silky voice that was almost as good. He disappeared, and Sarah felt breathless all the way back to their seats.

They landed in the airport, and took a taxi back home. Merlin was still at the kennel for their vacation, but the house didn't feel empty. Goblins hid just out of sight, and when Sarah reached her room, the Goblin King was waiting for her. She wanted to collapse into her arms, but was unsure of where they stood. He made an uncertain gesture with his hands, half-inviting, and she stumbled into his chest.

"It will be alright," he whispered, but his voice was hollow. They both knew he couldn't promise it.

The next day, they went to the hospital. Robert spent the drive there grumbling about how he had to cut his business meeting two days short. Toby was running a low-grade fever again. Against her instincts, she didn't ask Jareth to heal it. He agreed with her, but it was hard to watch their child being sick. The doctors drew blood for tests, and admitted Toby to the hospital. They tests came back twenty-four hours later. Sarah bullied her way into the meeting between her parents and the doctors. Robert started to protest, but Karen defended her.

The doctor was very grave and very sympathetic as she gave the diagnosis. After the first word, the only word that actually mattered, Sarah didn't hear anything at all. The other words sounded like static in her ears. Karen clutched her hand so tightly she couldn't feel her fingers, but to be fair, Sarah held on just as strongly.

Leukemia.

How was she going to tell Jareth?

She didn't need to tell him. He listened to the meeting through his crystals. She could see it in his eyes when she locked herself in a storeroom to cry. He came, and he held her. They had been meeting in a lot of odd places lately. They both cried, and then something happened. She wasn't sure how it happened, but Jareth's lips were on hers. He tasted of salt and magic. It wasn't a lustful, passion filled kiss like in the romances, but a desperate clinging to another life. She clung to his shoulders as he held her, and silent tears still came down her face.

"Can't you…?" she asked vaguely. In a distant part of her mind, she was aware that she'd had her first kiss, but it paled in comparison to what was happening to her brother.

Jareth shook his head. "I'm not a healer. I'm not strong enough to cure something that big. But tonight, if you think you can get him alone, I'll bring someone who is."

"I'll do it," she swore. Even if she had to be arrested again, she would do it.

He pulled back a little to look at her. She met his strange eyes. A spark leapt between them. She suddenly remembered that they had kissed, a real kiss, mouth-to-mouth. He felt very warm and alive against her, and she needed that badly. From the way he looked at her, he needed it too. She leaned harder into him.

"Sarah," he groaned.

"Jareth," she breathed against his lips, not quite touching.

Abruptly he pulled back, holding her at arm's length when she would have pressed in.

"I can't," he shook his head, and disappeared.

Sarah sat down on the floor, lost and alone. He didn't want her. Even in this moment when they were both frightened and desperate, he wouldn't have her. How could she have been so stupid as to let her guard down again? She cried for a while, until the hospital staff unlocked the door and forced her out.

Because Toby was a minor, a parent or guardian was allowed to spend the night with him. Sarah volunteered at once. Karen tried to stay too, but Robert bullied her into going home. He didn't seem to care what happened to Sarah.

The hospital never really quieted down, even at night. It was close to midnight before she felt it safe to call Jareth. He appeared, holding the arm of another Fae. The stranger immediately bent over, coughing in distress.

"All this iron," he gasped. "How can you stand it?"

Sarah gave Jareth a confused look. There were lots of legends of iron and faeries, but he never seemed affected by anything in her world. He met her eyes briefly. The shameful scene in the storeroom flashed in her mind. She blushed and looked away quickly. He moved to the stranger and placed a hand on the back of his neck. Jareth murmured something in a liquid tongue. The other Fae slowly straightened.

"Yes," he said, "With you near it is better. Where is the boy you want me to examine?"

Jareth and Sarah both turned to Toby. He was sleeping restlessly, his face flushed with a fever the doctors couldn't entirely keep down. The healer brought out a wand made out of gnarly vines woven together, and began to pass it over the boy. Sarah waited, holding her breath, after a moment the healer stood back and put his wand away.

"Well?" Jareth demanded a heartbeat before Sarah.

"I can see the disease, but I can't treat it here. There isn't enough magic in the world."

Sarah's heart thumped uncertainly. If Toby couldn't be treated here, maybe he could be brought to the Underworld?

"What if I passed you my magic?" Jareth asked.

The healer paled. "Good Labyrinth, that could kill you!"

Sarah gasped, but she wasn't really surprised. She would gladly risk her like to save Toby's, and Jareth felt the same.

"Could it work?" Jareth insisted. The healer paused in consideration.

"No, I doubt it. A big bolus of magic like that _could_ give him temporary relief, but it could not completely eradicate the disease. It is too far advanced in the boy. It would come back, more vicious than ever. If I had been called in before the disease took over so much of his system, I might have been able to help."

"Why wasn't it discovered earlier?" Jareth growled in frustration, clenching his fists.

The healer scoffed unwisely. "Because you've been treating the _symptoms_ with your amateur healing, not the disease," he said derisively.

The air grew thick like a thunderstorm. The hairs on Sarah's arms stood on end. "Are you saying," the Goblin King said very quietly, "That I did this to my own son?"

The healer gulped and edged back from the dangerous Fae. "N-no," he stammered, "O-of course n-not."

Sarah stepped forward and put a hand on Jareth's arm. He took a deep breath and tried to control his temper.

"Is there anything you can do to help Toby?" she asked the healer. "What if we bring him to the Underground?"

The healer shook his head reluctantly. "Again, there would be enough magic to treat him in the Underground, but without a constant infusion of magic, the disease will start to attack his system again."

A fragile hope grew in her chest. "So if he lived there?"

"Yes, that will very likely be the best chance of success here. Living in the Underground will not only provide the steady supply of magic, but the exposure to such magic will also begin to give him Fae-like attributes. We are naturally immune to such diseases."

"Then that's what we do," she said. "If that's the only way to save him, we have to do it!"

Jareth suddenly laughed harshly. Now he was the one who put a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Tell her what happens if he leaves the Underground."

The healer shrugged. "He dies."

She stared.

"Without the magic, without the natural immunity to this disease, it will return and progress at an accelerated rate. I would say, at his current condition, he has a few weeks to live. Should he go to the Underworld and come back, it would take minutes to kill him. Perhaps seconds."

"He could never come back," Jareth said bitterly. "Not even to visit. Not even for an instant."

"No," agreed the healer nervously, watching the unsettled Goblin King with wary eyes.

"You have done enough here," Jareth said abruptly, and waved his hand. The healer disappeared. Sarah was stunned. She could save Toby, but lose him forever. He could never come back. He would be Fae, and far outlive her, and she would never see him again.

Suddenly Jareth wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight against him. She shoved hard against him, but he didn't let go.

"What are you doing?" she asked, still fighting him. "Let me go."

"No," he said darkly. She stiffened at the note of deep anger in his voice. He was trembling, she realized, and when she glanced at his face, his eyes were filled with _rage_.

"I need this," he continued, struggling to keep his tone even. He wasn't mad at her, she realized, but at the situation. Wasn't that one of the stages of grief?

"My son is _dying_, and there is nothing I can do to help," he snarled, and squeezed her until she squeaked. He loosened his hold, barely.

"By the Labyrinth, I wanted to tear a hole in the world and rip into whoever decided that my son has to die."

And he could do it. His power filled the air, choking and potent. If there was a way to carry his rage all the way to God or whoever, he would do it.

He bowed his head and rested it on her shoulder. He shuddered, hot tears splashing on her skin. Her throat closed up. Timidly she put her arms around him.

"It's not your fault," she whispered.

"Isn't it?" he asked without raising his head. "You heard what the healer said. I've been healing him all along. Maybe if I hadn't, if he had gone to your doctors, they would have found this out sooner. They could have treated it before it became this bad."

"You can't know that," she whispered, though she understood his impulse. She wondered it too. But it was hardly going to help Toby if they started to cast blame on each other. Her heart ached in pain and confusion. Toby was dying, Jareth was hurting, and she didn't know how to make it better. Was there anything to make this situation better? It felt so unfair! The old phrase she used so much in her childhood came back to haunt her. It was time for her own rage to kick in. Jareth tightened his hold on her as if he sensed it.

"Make it so no one can hear us," she choked out. He did.

She screamed. She threw back her head and shouted at the Universe for allowing this to happen to Toby, to her sweet brother. Unlike Jareth, she didn't have to be careful when she was angry. She railed and cursed. Jareth clung to her when she would have thrown things and punched the walls, hurting herself. He seemed to take a dark pleasure that she was venting the fury that he could not. When it was over, when they were both spent and panting, she clung to him for support. He never once let her go. And then she whispered in his ear. He nodded once, and disappeared.

Toby Williams died nearly two weeks later, at 3:19 in the morning.


	15. Year 7 Part 3

**A/N: Thanks for your reviews! I know I was cruel to leave it like I did, but here is the next part. I hope this makes up for that cliffhanger! After this I only have one more part to post, a short epilogue. Thank you everyone who stayed with me as long as you have! I promise it will be a happy ending from here on out! I am planning on doing another Labyrinth story after this. It will probably be shorter than this one, and not as light-hearted. There will still be a happy ending though. The story is already written, but I have to type it up still. It will be a while until I'm ready to post that one, since I'd like to have it completely typed up before I start posting. On the other hand, once it's typed up, I'm planning on posting it fast, a new section every day. In the meanwhile, if anyone is interested in being a beta reader, you can PM me.  
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**Well, onto the remainder of this story!  
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* * *

Year 7 part 3

Three AM was held to be the midnight of the soul, and so it seemed to Sarah as she stared down at her brother's still image. Doctors and nurses rushed around, but they couldn't save him. Karen ran into the room and threw herself screaming on the bed. It was the most emotion Sarah had ever seen her step-mother display. She watched the display of grief, and felt nothing but a kind of sad numbness. It was over. It was over watching Toby sicken. Watching him get weaker, watching doctors place more tubes into the young boy in an attempt to keep him alive.

Robert followed behind his wife and stood there, shocked and mute. Sarah met his eyes briefly. This was a problem no amount of money could fix. He wasn't always there for his family, but he worked hard to give them what he thought was a good life. But what good was money when it couldn't buy even a second of life? No one ever went to their deathbed wishing they spent more time at work. Sarah turned away from her father

Jareth was not there when Toby died, which was for the best. The grief of the Goblin King would probably cause the world to implode, or something like that. She didn't see him in the days that followed either, or the funeral that was held that Tuesday.

There wasn't much of a eulogy at a young boy's funeral, but Sarah had asked to speak. She stood in front of the crowd, her throat tight, her eyes burning, but not crying. She hadn't shed a single tear since her brother died. She had written a few notes down to remind herself of what she wanted to say, but she didn't need them.

"Toby is not dead," she began. Her voice quivered dangerously, and she stopped to clear it. She didn't look at the coffin behind her or the black dress she was wearing that give lie to her words. So long as she didn't look, didn't see them, they weren't true.

"He's living in a faraway place, a magical kingdom protected by a great Labyrinth that only worthy people can get through. The great king of this land has adopted Toby as his son, and loves him very much. Toby lives as a prince. He can run around, and play swords, and learn magic. He has a veritable host of goblins to play with, and a whole swarm of other creatures that will look out for him." Her voice began to choke up, but there still were no tears. "He's happy there. And if he could speak to us, he would tell us not to be sad for him, because he's not sad. In my heart, Toby's not dead."

She sat down again. The funeral was concluded with a song and a prayer. The casket was lowered in the ground, but they wouldn't put the dirt in until the people left. Afterward they went to the Williams house for food. Something about shared grief is supposed to make it better. It didn't. Sarah avoided the party. She went upstairs, but not to her room. She walked into Toby's room, draped in black but otherwise untouched. There were no goblins here, nor a Goblin King, nor would there ever be again. She curled up on the bed of the brother she no longer had. She did not cry.

The next day, Sarah got up and went to work for Anita Charles. Despite being a new hire, Mrs. Charles was understanding of the loss of her brother. Sarah was determined to prove herself a hard worker. She didn't socialize, but people put that down to grief. She didn't really like the work—office filing—but it paid the bills on time.

People deal with grief in a variety of ways. Sarah continued on by route, going to work, enrolling in classes she didn't care about. Things were different without Toby to take care of. She missed him. She missed Jareth as well. He didn't come to visit. There was no reason for him to come to her house any more.

Robert shut himself away completely at work. Maybe she was more like her father than she'd realized. Karen broke down completely. She stayed at home, wailing in her grief so that not even Merlin wanted to keep her company. Perhaps a month after Toby's funeral, Merlin went missing. It was doubtful that Robert noticed or cared. Sarah was saddened by yet another loss, but the dog was getting old anyway. It wouldn't have been long before they had to put him down. Karen for a while threw herself into a frenzy of activity, making fliers to post in the neighborhood. When nothing came of them, she sank back into her stupor. It wasn't really the dog she was looking for, but her son couldn't be brought back by posting fliers.

Four more months went by. Sarah graduated from college with an associate's degree. Neither Robert nor Karen showed up to her graduation. She hadn't bothered to tell them. Afterwards, Sarah went driving. She didn't have anywhere to go. She just didn't want to go home. Graduating was supposed to be a time of happiness. Her classmates had been filled with plans of parties, and what to do with their lives. It felt like high school all over again, only with legal drinking. But instead of joy, or even relief that school was over, all she felt was…

She felt empty inside. She supposed it could have been grief, but grief was supposed to get better in time. Instead she was haunted by this Toby-sized hole in her life. Well, Toby-and-Jareth, if she was being honest with herself. She got off the main freeway and began taking the back roads, which were more interesting at least. By the time it was dark, she was completely lost, and almost out of gas. It didn't seem important to her. She kept going until her car spluttered and died. She coasted to the side of the road, being a courteous driver.

She got out of the car and began to walk. So long as she was still moving, she wasn't thinking. If she stopped to think, it would hurt, so she didn't stop. At least, that was her intention. She didn't get more than a dozen paces before her knees gave out, and suddenly she knelt on the ground.

Great, wracking sobs welled up in her chest. She pressed her hands to her mouth to stifle them but they came out anyway. And for the first time in five months, tears fell from her eyes.

"Why?" she demanded the empty night. "Why did you leave me?"

"Why didn't you call me?" asked another voice behind her.

Exhausted body and soul, she didn't turn around. "You didn't want me," she said dully.

Footstep crunched on the ground as the speaker walked around to crouch in front of her.

"You could have called me at any time, for Toby's sake if not for your own," Jareth said. She glanced up at him. It had only been five months since the last time she had seen him, but it felt like longer. He looked as handsome and strange as ever. Time was kind to him, as it wasn't for her.

"He asks about you every day," Jareth added. "I've had to stop letting him watch you in the crystals."

She knew why. She had let herself go. Her hair was dull and her skin was sallow as if she was the sick one. She barely ate, barely slept, and it showed in her body.

"He's doing well?" she asked. "He's not…?"

"Healthy as a horse," Jareth smiled. "Happy in his new surroundings. He took to it quite well actually. The Council has even made him officially my son now, though he can't be my heir."

"Why not?" she asked indignantly. It was easier to focus on Toby than on her own heartache.

"Because he can't come back here. He'd need to do that as the Goblin King. I understand though, and Toby's fine with it. He says he prefers the Underground anyway."

"That's good," she coughed. She didn't have anything else to say. It hurt to look at Jareth, knowing he would leave again, knowing this time it might be forever. "I guess…" She forgot the rest of her sentence. She felt so tired.

"He misses his sister," he said abruptly. She glanced at him again. His jaw was clenched, his eyes were tight. Toby might want her to come, but clearly Jareth didn't. Or he wouldn't have stayed away for so long.

"He can't come to visit," she said dully.

"You could go to him."

She shook her head. "It wouldn't be fair."

"To who?" he asked abruptly.

"To you," she snapped.

"Me," he said flatly, a hint of anger in his voice. "And you don't think your brother is more important than that?"

"Jareth—"

He stood abruptly. "Toby wants his sister," he said sharply, then muttered, "I want his sister."

She gaped at him. "What?"

"I want _you_, Sarah. For years now, I have. You've got to know that. But you don't want me. I know that. What I'm trying to say, even though I want you, I can set that aside for Toby's sake. Can't you do the same? Forget how unappealing I am to you for one moment to take my hand and see your baby brother?"

"Jareth," she gasped. She tried to stand, but felt a wave of weakness and stumbled. Jareth caught her. Now knowing what he had told her, his touch was electric.

"When's the last time you ate?" he asked in disapproval.

"Umm?" she answered sheepishly.

He sighed and shook his head. He stared at her for a long moment. Suddenly he seemed to remember that he was still holding her, and tried to let go. She clung to him tightly.

"I don't think you're unappealing," she blurted out. He stopped, watching her in astonishment. She blushed. "What I'm trying to say… I want you too. For a long time, like you said. Since…" she trailed off, trying to remember a time when she hadn't wanted him.

"The Council?"

"Yes, only before that. The carnival, I think."

"Me too. But I think earlier."

"A dream, I had once."

"That was me, you know."

"What?"

"That peach dream. It wasn't a dream, not really. An illusion, but not a dream. I was there to dance with you. I think I've loved you since then."

Her eyes filled with tears. His face froze, realizing what he'd let slip.

"You love me?" she whispered.

He nodded, swallowing hard.

"I think… I love you too. I want to love you, but sometimes I feel scared."

"I know, I feel the same. But if you let go of the fear, Sarah…"

"After the funeral, why didn't you come for me?"

"Why didn't you call me?" he responded.

"I was sad. I didn't think it would bother me because I knew he wasn't really dead, but it was just like losing him. I thought you didn't want me."

"Why in the Labyrinth would you think I didn't want you?"

"Before it happened, when we just found out about… the leukemia… We kissed that one time, and when I wanted it to happen again, you pushed me away and said you couldn't."

He tilted his head back and groaned. "I didn't want to take advantage of your innocence, Sarah. And truth be told, I thought _you_ didn't want _me_ at that point. I thought that was some moment of madness, and I was afraid you'd hate me for it later."

"Why did you think I didn't want you? I was already in love with you at that point!" She gasped at how easily it came out of her mouth. He smiled at her.

"It gets easier," he promised. "The reason I thought you didn't want me then was because of when you went out with Charles. You let me think she was a man on purpose, to pick a fight with me about it. It was clear that you wanted to make a point that I had no right to you."

"I did let you think Charles was a man," she confessed shyly. "But I was hoping you would speak up. I wanted you to say how jealous you were, and that you wanted me to go out with you only."

Jareth stared at her for a long time, then sighed. "What a pair of idiots we've been," he breathed. "I wanted to say that, so badly."

"What stopped you?"

He clenched his jaw angrily. "The Council. The year before that, when we went before the Council? They threatened you."

"What?" she gasped in outrage.

"It was Lord Malack. When they started in on you at the end, it was a warning. He saw how protective I was of you, and knew I loved you even then. They wouldn't let me marry you if you lived in this world, and if I tried to court you anyway, you'd be a target every time they wanted something from me."

"How dare they do that!" she said angrily, but was distracted by what he said. "Marry me?" she asked weakly.

"Yes," he responded quickly.

Her eyes widened.

He grinned.

"Well, we don't have to take it that quickly," he smirked, then sobered. "But you should know, yes, I do want to marry you. My kind, we don't change our hearts. Once I fell in love with you, I wanted to marry you. I always have."

"Neiven said that Fae only love once," she said.

"Yes," he agreed.

"What changed? Why now have you come to me and are telling me this? Has the Council changed their minds about us?"

His eyes flashed with anger, before softening as he looked at her. "No. They haven't changed their minds. It's because the impossible has happened. You gave me my son."

She felt shame that it had taken her as long as it had to make her choice. "It was the only way to save him," she pointed out, looking down.

"And yet, you had a choice. You could have said no. You could have sought a second opinion in your world, gone through treatments to prolong his life. Still, you chose to give him to me."

She had never even considered anything else. Medicine was getting better every day. Maybe they could have beaten the leukemia. But at what cost? The image of pale, bare-headed children flashed through her mind. And it was never a guarantee. After being in remission for years it could still come back. She shook her head.

"It was never a choice. He belongs with his father."

"And you belong with us."

She looked up at him uncertainly.

"If you stay here, the Council won't be happy," he admitted. "But you could come with us, live in the Underground."

"Move in with you?" she asked faintly.

"To my castle, at least. I'm not asking you to move into my room, or sleep with me. But if you lived in the Underground, the Council will have no objections to you. None they could make, anyway. And once you're down there, we'll have as much time as we need to sort things out. I feel like I'm losing you, Sarah."

She laughed. "I'm right here."

His hands tightened on her arms. "For now. But you're _mortal_. I'm not. Who's to say that what happened to Toby won't happen to you?"

"Jareth, I'm healthy," she tried to reassure him.

"It doesn't have to be a disease. It can be a car accident. It can be some stupid person who's not paying attention and bumps into you on a flight of stairs. It can be —"

He was working himself up, obviously haven given a lot of thought to this. She stopped him the only way she could think of, closing the distance between them and kissing him. As far as second kisses go, it still wasn't quite up to a love story. But it was better than the first. There still was a little salt, from her, and the heady taste of his magic. His arms came around her, but he was obvious holding back. Someday, she vowed, he wouldn't hold back.

"Come with me," he pleaded, and began pressing soft kisses over her face. "What is there for you here? You've finished your schooling, you hate your job, and no one ever notices if you're home or not. If you come with me, Toby and I will love you for always. You will be my queen, and you will even have those friends of yours. We don't have to rush into anything right away. Please, say you'll come home with me."

"Okay," she agreed.

He kissed her again. This time he didn't hold back. As far as third kisses go, it was definitely worthy of a movie.

Of course, it wasn't that simple to move the Underground. She set her few affairs in order, mostly things like quitting her job, and telling her parents that she was moving out of country. Jareth hovered over her insistently, making sure she ate and got enough rest. She indulged his whims fondly. She supposed that to an immortal, almost losing his son to death was a very scary experience. It was only natural that he be protective of the other mortal in his life. Once she was in the Underground, she hoped he would relax a bit. The magic there would work on her the same way it had Toby and all the wished-away children. She would gain to ability to use it, and her life would be much longer.

Even once she was installed in her own rooms in the Jareth's castle, he wouldn't tell Toby that she was there. She jokingly asked if she really looked that bad, and he gave her a sober look. It scared her, a little. Life had never seemed so fragile until then. She took care of herself, eating and sleeping a lot, and taking in the healthy—magical—Underground air. Two weeks later, Jareth was finally satisfied to introduce her to Toby again.

Even in the few months that since she'd been gone, Toby had grown. It looked really good on him. He was healthy and robust, and deeply excited to see her. Merlin barked and jumped around them, because of course he hadn't simply gone missing. The Underground's magic had restored him to the youthful dog he had been. It was wonderful to be together again with the people she considered her real family.

Life went on in the Underground. She was happy with nearly everything about her new life here. There was only one thing that she had a lingering doubt about, and that was Jareth. After their confessions that night she decided to move to the Underground, she figured they were basically together. However, he didn't act like it. She saw him often, at shared meals and during the day. He treated her like he always had, friendly and welcoming, but not necessarily like her boyfriend.

She supposed, like he said, they had time so they didn't have to rush into things, but she felt like she'd waited long enough. There were no longer reasons for them not to be together. It was difficult, but she bit her tongue and bided her time. If they went more than a month without talking, she would reconsider whether it was time to bring it up again.

She was glad she waited when a few days later Jareth brought her to a private dinner on a balcony. The moonlit view was beautiful; she could see the ever-shifting Labyrinth, and a valley with a river and waterfall running through it. It was everything she could have wished for, candlelight and wine, soft music that came from nowhere in particular. The air was scented by the flowers wound around the railing. Her heart thumped hard when she saw it. Jareth had warned her ahead of time to dress nice, and she was glad she had. He looked good too, not in a common tux, but something that looked both traditional and sharp. They ate and talked leisurely, generally relaxing with each other. They shared a sweet, refreshing dessert before the last dishes were taken away.

The conversation fell away naturally, and they simply watched each other. He reached across the table for her hand. She gave it to him willingly. He held it in both of his, his clever fingers stroking her skin in a way that was both ticklish and soothing. He wasn't wearing his gloves, she realized with a little thrill.

"Sarah," he caressed her name.

"Yes?" she asked breathlessly.

"I wanted to start this off right," he began. "Normally when a Fae begins to court a woman, he goes to her father to ask permission."

Her pulse began to race. This was what she had been hoping for!

"In this case," he continued, "I'm sorry to admit, but I don't trust your father with your well-being. So I asked the other man in your life."

She gave him a curious look, and then smiled. He was the only other man in her life.

"And what did he say?" she asked, trying to be flirtatious. It was worth it to see his eyes light up.

He paused for a moment, then said, "Toby told me he wants a little brother. He'll do a little sister too if we have to, but he really wants a little brother."

She blinked, then withdrew and covered her face with her hands. "That's awful," she groaned. "Tell me he didn't say that."

"He did," Jareth confirmed, his expression sober. "Would it be so awful?" There was hurt lingering in his eyes. She lowered her hands and took his again. She knew what his stance on children was.

"Having children is not awful," she said firmly. Since she was fully human, and Jareth was from a particularly potent family, they should have no problems with conceiving. "It's just my brother talking about you and I having children that's bad. How does that even work with us?"

Jareth raised his eyebrows and coughed. "The same as for humans, I assure you."

She blushed. "Not that! I meant with Toby being your son, and he's my brother, but if we're married…"

"Anyway we want it," he said gently. "Most of the Underground will view him as your son as well, step-son if you so desire, but if that makes you uncomfortable…" He trailed off, indicating he was open to suggestions.

She considered it. Toby was biologically her brother, but she had been caring for him as a mother from almost the moment he was born. "No, I'm okay with that. I don't mind."

Jareth smiled in relief.

"So then…" she asked, feeling that fluttery excitement again. "We're courting?"

"We're courting," he confirmed.

"What does that mean?" she asked nervously.

"I'll show you." And he leaned across the table to kiss her.


	16. Epilogue

**A/N: Here is the last part of this story. It's very short. Thanks again for all your reviews, and thanks for sticking with me! You've made this journey fun!  
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Year 8

Both

Sarah and Jareth had a whirlwind courtship. He took her to places both Underground and Aboveground during their courtship. The Fae soon knew them as a couple deeply in love. One aspect that was a little different from a purely Fae relationship was that usually the males pursued the females, who had the choice to accept or not. However, Sarah was fully ready to court him as well. She was more limited in her magical abilities—though that was rapidly changing—but with Toby as a co-conspirator, she managed to catch Jareth off guard a couple times. He thoroughly loved the feeling of being pursued by her. It made him feel as though her feelings were fully equal to his, and neither of them were going to back down from each other.

A courtship could last for years, but in the case of Jareth and Sarah, they were engaged within two months. As they said, they already had a child together, and had been unofficially seeing each other for years. Why wait any longer? Their engagement barely lasted longer—three months—before they were quietly married in the Labyrinth chapel. Toby agreed to stay with Hoggle, Sir Diddymus and Ludo during the honeymoon, so they were able to concentrate solely on each other. They used that time wisely.

When they came back from their honeymoon, Sarah found that all her magical abilities had expanded far more than before. Jareth only smirked when she commented on it. Between what they shared as spouses, the ambient magic of the Underground, and Sarah's new connection to the powerful, deeply magical realm of the Labyrinth, it didn't surprise him in the least. The married life suited her well, as did being Toby's mother. The switch from sister to mother didn't bother Toby at all.

Even Neiven warmed up to her when he realized she was not playing with Jareth, but truly here to stay.

* * *

Years 9-?

It was several hours of hard labor, but all that was forgotten when her daughter was placed in her arms. She held the little girl, and Jareth held her. Toby crept into the room, and then laid on the bed between his parents. He liked his new sister, but still wanted a little brother. As a matter of fact, Sarah and Jareth would give him several little brothers, and more sisters as well.

Sarah felt that same thing happen again, that sudden snap as if everything came into focus, or a piece fit perfectly in place. She now knew it was a heartbond, and it was complete with this introduction into the family. The first time she felt it, with a different baby girl, was merely a foreshadowing of what this would feel like. She was complete. She was home.

And as she looked at her children and her husband, she knew it was all possible because of a father's love.

The End


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